Define These Medical Terminologies Of The Cardiovascular System Flashcards

angi/o blood or lymph vessel aort/o aorta arteri/o artery ather/o plaque, fatty substance brady- slow cardi/o heart -crasia a mixture or blending -emia blood, blood condition erythr/o red hem/o, hemat/o blood, relating to the blood leuk/o white phleb/o vein tachy- fast, rapid thromb/o clot ven/o vein ACE inhibitor (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract resulting in hypertension anemia an- = without or less than; -emia = blood condition a lower than normal number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the blood aneurysm a localized weak spot, or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery angina (angina pectoris) a condition of episodes of severe chest pain due to inadequate blood flow to the myocardium; they are due to ischemia of the heart muscle angioplasty (balloon angioplasty) a procedure in which a small balloon on the end of a catheter is used to open a partially blocked coronary artery by flattening the plaque deposit & stretching the lumen anticoagulant slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming; coagulation is the process of clotting blood aplastic anemia a- = without; plast = growth; -ic = pertaining to is characterized by an absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow arrhythmia an abnormality, or the loss of the normal rhythm, of the heartbeat atherectomy ather = plaque; -ectomy = surgical removal the surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior of an artery atheroma ather = plaque; -oma = tumor is a characteristic of atherosclerosis, is a deposit of plaque on or within the arterial wall atherosclerosis ather/o = plaque or fatty substance; -sclerosis = abnormal hardening hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries atrial fibrillation (A fib) fibrillation = fast, uncontrolled heart beat occurs when normal rhythmic contractions of the atria are replaced by rapid irregular twitching of the muscular heart wall; causes an irregular & quivering action of the atria automated external defibrillator (AED) designed for use by nonprofessionals in emergency situations when defibrillation is required; samples electrical rhythms of heart & externally shocks to restore normal rhythm beta-blocker reduces the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heart beat; commonly prescribed to lower bp, relieve angina or to treat heart failure blood dyscrasia dys- = bad; -crasia = mixture or blending any pathologic condition of the cellular elements of the blood bradycardia brady- = slow; card = heart; -ia = abnormal condition an abnormally slow resting heart rate; usually applied to rates less than 60 beats per minute; bradycardia is the opposite of tachycardia cardiac arrest the heart abruptly stops or develops a very abnormal arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood cardiac catheterization a diagnostic procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and then guided into the heart cardiomyopathy cardi/o = heart; my/o = muscle; -pathy = disease the term used to describe all diseases of the heart muscle carotid endarterectomy the surgical removal of the lining of a portion of a clogged carotid artery leading to the brain; procedure is performed to reduce risk of stroke cholesterol fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body; aids in production of cell membranes, vitamin D & some hormones chronic venous insufficiency (venous insufficiency) a condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or leakage of venous valves; primarily affects feet & ankles coronary thrombosis coron = crown; -ary = pertaining to; thromb = clot; -osis = abnormal condition damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery defibrillation (cardioversion) the use of electrical shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm; this shock is provided by a device known as a defibrillator diuretic administered to stimulate the kidneys to increase the secretion of urine to rid the body of excess sodium & water; used to treat hypertension & heart failure electrocardiogram electr/o = electric; cardi/o = heart; -gram = picture or record a record of the electrical activity of the myocardium embolism embol = something inserted; -ism = condition the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus embolus embol = something inserted; -us = singular noun ending a foreign object, such as a blood clot, quantity of air or gas, or a bit of tissue or tumor that is circulating in the blood endocarditis endo- = within; card = heart; -itis = inflammation an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart erythrocytes (red blood cells RBC) erythr/o = red; -cytes = cells mature red blood cells produced by the red bone marrow; primary role of these cells is to transport oxygen to the tissues hemoglobin the iron-containing pigment of the erythrocytes hemolytic anemia hem/o = relating to blood; -lytic = disorder hemolytic = pertaining to breaking down RBC a condition of inadequate number of circulating red blood cells due to the premature destruction of red blood cells by the spleen hemostasis hem/o = blood; -stasis = stopping or controlling to stop or control bleeding; could be accomplished by formation of a blood clot or through external application of pressure ischemic heart disease ischemic = pertaining to the disruption of the blood supply a group of cardiac disabilities resulting from an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood to the heart; usually assoc. w/ coronary artery disease leukemia leuk = white; -emia = blood condition a type of cancer characterized by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal leukocytes (white blood cells) found in blood forming tissues, other organs, & in the circulating blood leukocytes (white blood cells WBC) leuk/o = white; -cytes = cells the blood cells involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances leukopenia leuk/o = white; -penia = deficiency any situation in which the total number of leukocytes in the criculating blood is less than normal megaloblastic anemia a blood disorder characterized by anemia in which the red blood cells are larger than normal; usually results from deficiency of folic acid or vitamin B12 myelodysplastic syndrome (preleukemia) group of bone marrow disorders that are characterized by the insufficient production of one or more types or blood cells due to dysfunction of the bone marrow myocardial infarction (heart attack) the occlusion of one or more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup; occlusion here means total blockage orthostatic hypotension (postural hypotension) is low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up; orthostatic = relating to an upright or standing position paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT) paroxysmal = pertaining to sudden occurrence; compare with ventricular tachycardia an episode that begins & ends abruptly during which there are very rapid & regular heartbeats that originate in the atrium pericardium (pericardial sac) peri- = surrounding; cardi = heart; -um = singular noun ending the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart pernicious anemia caused by the lack of the protein intrinsic factor (IF) that helps the body absorb vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract phlebitis phleb = vein; -itis = inflammation the inflammation of a vein; usually occurs in a superficial vein Raynaud's phenomenon a peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress septicemia (blood poisoning) a systemic condition caused by the spread of microorganisms and their toxins via the circulating blood sickle cell anemia a genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape tachycardia tachy- = rapid; card = heart; -ia = abnormal condition an abnormally rapid resting heart rate; usually applied to rates greater than 100 beats per minute; tachycardia is opposite bradycardia thallium stress test is performed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise thrombocytopenia thromb/o = thrombus; cyt/o = cell; -penia = deficiency a condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood; condition is sometimes assoc. w/ abnormal bleeding thrombolytic (clot-busting drug) thromb/o = clot; -lytic = to destroy dissolves or causes a thrombus to break up thrombosis thromb = clot; -osis = abnormal condition or disease the abnormal condition of having a thrombus thrombotic occlusion thrombotic = caused by a thrombus occlusion = blockage the blocking of an artery by a thrombus thrombus thromb = clot; -us = singular noun ending a blood clot attached to the interior wall or an artery or vein; plural = thrombi transfusion reaction a serious, and potentially fatal, complication of a blood transfusion in which a severe immune response occurs because of the patient's blood & the donated blood do not match valvulitis valvul = valve; -itis = inflammation an inflammation of a heart valve varicose veins abnormally swollen veins, usually occurring in the superficial veins of the legs; occur when the valves in the veins malfunction & allow blood to pool in them, causing enlargement ventricular fibrillation (V fib) the rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles; the heart muscle quivers ineffectively; the cause of sudden cardiac deaths ventricular tachycardia (V tach) a very rapid heart beat that begins within the ventricles; condition is potentially fatal - heart is beating rapidly & is unable to adequately pump blood through the body