| A | B |
|---|
| cardio | heart |
| vascular | blood vessels |
| functions of cardiovascular system | efficient pumping system to supply all body tissues with oxygen and nutrients; to transport cellular waste products to the appropriate organs for removal from the body; blood cells play important roles in the immune system and endocrine system |
| major structures of the cardiovascular system | heart, blood vessels, and blood |
| heart | hollow, muscular organ located between the lungs and above the diaphragm; is a pump |
| pericardium | double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart |
| pericardial fluid | between the layers prevents friction when the heart beats |
| epicardium | external layer of the heart and is part of the inner layer of the pericardial sac |
| myocardium | middle and thickest of the layers and consists of the cardiac muscle |
| endocardium | lining of the heart that forms the inner surface that comes in direct contact with blood being pumped thru the heart |
| coronary arteries and veins | supply the blood needs of the myocardium |
| 4 chambers of the heart | R & L atriums and R & L ventricles |
| atria | 2 upper chambers of the heart and receive the blood; all blood vessels coming into the heart enter in the atria |
| septum | separating wall or partition |
| ventricles | lower chambers of the heart; all blood vessels leaving the heart emerge from the ventricles |
| ventricular walls are | thicker than the atrial walls because the ventricles pump blood longer distances |
| narrow tip of the heart is the | cardiac apex |
| flow of blood flow thru the heart is controlled by the | tricuspid, pulmonary semilunar, mitral, and aortic semilunar valves |
| tricuspid valve (three points or cusps) | controls the opening between the right atrium and the right ventricle |
| pulmonary semilunar valve | located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery |
| mitral valve (bicuspid) | locatd between the left atrium and the left ventricle |
| aortic semilunar valve | located between the left ventricle and the aorta |
| systemic circulation | blood flow to all parts of the body except the lungs |
| oxygenated blood flows out of the heart from the | left ventricle into arterial circulation |
| deoxygenated blood returns to the heart through the | veins and flows into the right atrium |
| pulmonary circulation | flow of blood between the heart and lungs |
| the only place in the body where arteries carry oxygen-poor blood | blood flows out of the heart from the right ventricle and through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs |
| pulmonary veins carry oxygen-richblood into the | left atrium of the heart; this is the only place in the body where veins carry oxygen-rich blood |
| conduction system | electrical impulses from nerves that stimulate the myocardium of the chambers of the heart start in the sinoatrial (SA) node, atrioventricular (AV) node, and bundle of His |
| sinoatrial node (SA) | located in the posterior wall of the right atrium near the entrance of the superior vena cava; known as the natural pacemaker |
| atrioventricular node (AV) node | located on the floor of the right atrium near the interatrial septum |
| bundle of His | located within the interventricular septum; carry the impulses to the R & L ventricles and the Purkinje fibers |
| Purkinje fibers | causes the ventricles to contract simultaneously forcing blood into the aorta and pulmonary arteries |
| P wave | due to the contraction (stimulation) of the atria |
| QRS complex | shows the contraction (stimulation) of the ventricles |
| T wave | relaxation (recovery) of the ventricles |
| lubb sound | heard first; caused by the tricuspid and mitral valves closing between the atria and the ventricles |
| dupp sound | shorter and higher pitched; caused by the closing of the semilunar valves in the aorta and pulmonary arteries as blood is pumped out of the heart |
| lumen | opening within these vessels thru which the blood flows |
| arteries | large blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to all regions of the body; high oxygen content that gives arterial blood its brignt red color |
| endarterial | pertaining to the interior or lining of an artery |
| aorta | main trunk of the arterial system and begins from the left ventricle of the ehart |
| coronary artery | branches from the aorta and supplies blood to the myocardium |
| arterioles | smaller thinner branches of arteries, carry blood to the capillaries |
| capillaries | anatomic units connecting the arterial and venous circulatory systems; smallest vessels in the body; where exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste materials between the tissue fluids and the surrounding cells |
| veins | thinner walls and are less elastic; have valves that make blood flow toward the heart |
| venules | small veins that join to form the larger veins |
| venae cavae | two large veins that enter the heart |
| superior vena cava | brings blood from the upper portion of the body |
| inferior vena cava | brings blood from the lower portion of the body |
| pulse | rhythmic expansion and contraction of an artery produced by the pressure of the blood moving thru the artery |
| blood pressure | measurement of the amount of pressure exerted against the walls of the vessels |
| systolic pressure | occurs when the ventricles contract, is the highest pressure against the walls of the blood vessels |
| diastolic pressure | occurs when the ventricles are relaxed, is the lowest pressure against the walls of the blood vessels |
| BP (blood pressure) | recorded as systolic over diastolic |
| blood | composed of 55 percent liquid plasma and 45 percent formed elements (blood corpuscles) (RBC, WBC, and platelets) |
| plasma | straw-colored fluid that contains nutrients, hormones, and waste products; is 91 percent water |
| fibrinogen and prothrombin | clotting proteins found in plasma; have an important role in clot formation to control bleeding |
| serum | plasma with clotting proteins removed |
| erythrocytes (RBC) | mature RBC; produced by the bed bone marrow; are shaped like a doughnut with a thin central protion instead of a hole |
| hemoglobin | iron-containing pigment of the erythrocytes; transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body |
| reticulocyte | immature erythrocyte that is characterized bya ameshlike pattern of threads |
| normal life span of an RBC | 120 days |
| macrophages in the spleen, liver, and bone marrow | destroy erythrocytes that are no longer useful |
| leukocytes (WBC) | protect the body against harmful invaders such as bacgteria |
| leuk/o | white |
| neutrophils | formed in red bone marrow, are the most prevalent type of WBC; fight infection by phagocytosis |
| phagocytosis | process of engulfing and engulfing and swallowing germs |
| phag/o | to eat or swallow |
| basophils | formed in red bone marrow; promote the inflammatory response; an elevated basophil count may indicate an allergic condition |
| eosinophils | formed in red bone marrow; increase in response to allergic reactions; an elevated eosinophil count indicates an allergic condition |
| lymphocytes | formed in red bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the spleen; have an important role in protecting the body against disease |
| monocytes | formed in red bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the spleen; important in protecting against disease; elevated monocyte count usually indicates a chronic infection |
| thrombocytes (platelets) | smallest formed elements of the blood; play an important role in the clotting of blood; platelets clump and stick together to form a clot |
| 4 major blood types | A, AB, B, and O; based on the presence of the A and/or B antigens on RBC; in O, both antigens are absent |
| Rh factor | RBC contain the Rh antigen; person is either positive or negative |
| Rh factor | positive for Rh antigen |
| Rh negative | negative for Rh antigen |
| blood gas | gas that is dissolved in the liquid part of the blood; oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen |
| cardiologist | specializes in diagnosing and treating abnormalities, diseases, and disorders of the heart |
| hematologist | specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the blood and blood-forming tissues |
| coranary artery disease (CAD) | atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that may cause angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and sudden death |
| End-stage coronary artery disease | final phase of CAD, characterized by unrelenting angina pain and a severly limited lifestyle |
| Atherosclerosis | hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to a buildup of cholesterol plaques |
| athero/o | plaque or fatty substance |
| atheroma | plaque (fatty deposit) within the arterial wall |
| plaque | similar to the buildup of rust inside a pipe, and it may protrude outward into the opening of the vessel or move inward into the wall of the vessel |
| Ischemia | deficiency in blood supply due to either the constriction or the obstruction of a blood vessel |
| isch | to hold back |
| Ischemic heart disease (IHD) | group of cardiac disabilities resulting from an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood to the heart; is usually associated with CAD |
| Angina pectoris | severe episodes of spasmodic choking or suffocating chest pain; usually due to interference with, but not complete blockage of, the supply of oxygen to the myocardium |
| myocardial infarction (heart attack) (MI) | the occlusion (closing off) of a coronary artery resulting in an infarct (death) of the affected myocardium; damage to the myocardium impairs the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body |
| infarct | localized area of necrosis (tissue death) caused by an interruption of the blood supply |
| Congestive heart failure (CHF) | syndrome in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for oxygen and nutrients; in response to the reduced blood flow, the kidneys retain more fluid within the body and this fluid accumulates in the legs, ankles, and lungs |
| congestive | fluid buildup |
| carditis | inflammation of the heart |
| endocarditis | inflammation of the inner layer of the heart |
| Bacterial endocarditis | inflammation of the lining or valves of the heart caused by bacteria |
| Myocarditis | inflammation of the myocardium |
| Pericarditis | inflammation of the pericardium |
| Valvulitis | inflammatory condition of a heart valve |
| Mitral valve prolapse | abnormal protrusion of the mitral valve that resuts in the incomplete closure of the valve |
| Mitral stenosis | abnormal narrowing of the opening of the mitral valve |
| Tricuspid stenosis | abnormal narrowing of the opening of the tricuspid valve |
| heart murmur | a valve that does not function properly may allow blood to flow back into the heart chamber which is abnormal and creates a sound |
| Cardiac arrhythmia (dysrhythmia) | an irregularity or the loss of normal rhythm of the heart beat |
| Bradycardia | abnormally slow heartbeat usually less than 60 beats per minute |
| flutter | cardiac arrhythmia where the atrial contractions are rapid but regular |
| Palpitation | pounding or racing heart with or without irregularity in rhythm |
| Tachycardia | abnormally fast heartbeat usually greater than 100 beats per minute |
| Paroxysmal tachycardia | fast heartbeat of sudden onset |
| paroxysm | means a sudden convulsion, seizure, or spasm |
| Fibrillation | rapid, random, and ineffective contractions of the heart |
| atrial fibrillation (AF) (A fib) | atria beat faster than the ventricles where there is an irregular quivering action of the atria |
| Ventricular fibrillation (V fib) | irregular contractions of the ventricles and is fatal unless reversed by electric defibrillation |
| Angiitis (vasculitis) | inflammation of a blood or lymph vessel |
| Angionecrosis | necrosis (death) of the walls of the blood vessels |
| necrosis | death |
| angiospasm | spasmodic contraction of the blood vessels |
| Angiostenosis | narrowing of a blood vessel |
| hemangioma | benign tumor made up of newly formed blood vessels |
| hemangi | blood vessel |
| Hypoperfusion | deficiency of blood passing through an organ or body part |
| perfusion | flow of blood thru the vessels of an organ |
| aneurysm | localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery; most occur in large blood vessels; are named for the involved blood vessels; if ruptures is often fatal because of rapid loss of blood |
| Arteritis | inflammation of an artery |
| Polyarteritis | inflammation involving several arteries |
| Arteriosclerosis | hardening of the arteries which reduces the flow of blood thru vessels |
| Raynaud's phenomenon | intermittent attacks of pallor (paleness), cyanosis (blue color), and redness of the fingers and toes due to arterial and arteriolar contraction ; usually caused by cold or emotion |
| Phlebitis | inflammation of a vein |
| phleb | vein |
| Varicose veins | abnormally swollen veins usually occurring in the legs |
| varicosity | one area of swelling |
| thrombosis | abnormal condition where a clot (thrombus) develops within a blood vessel |
| thromb | clot |
| thrombus | blood clot attached to the interior wall of a vein or artery |
| thrombotic occlusion | blocking of an artery by a clot |
| coronary thrombosis | damage to the heart caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery |
| embolus | 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 |
| embolism | blockage of a vessel by an embolus |
| Dyscrasia | any abnormal or pathologic condition of the blood |
| crasia | mixture or blending |
| Hemochromatosis (iron overload disease) | genetic disorder where the intestines absorb too much iron; the excess iron enters the bloodstream and accumulates in organs where it causes damage |
| chromat | color |
| Septicemia (blood poisoning) | presence of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins in the blood |
| Cholesterol | consists of lipids (fatty substances) that travel in the blood in packages called lipoproteins |
| LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol | bad cholesterol because excess quantities contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries |
| HDL (High-density lipoprotein cholesterol) | good cholesterol because it carries unneeded cholesterol back to the liver for processing and does not contribute to plaque buildup |
| Triglycerides | combinations of fatty acids attached to glycerol that are also found normally in the blood in limited quantities |
| Homocysteine | amino acid normally found in the blood and used by the body to build and maintain tissues; when present in increase levels of more than 12 micromoles per liter, it can damage arterial walls and increase the risk of coronary artery disease |
| Hyperlipidemia (hyperlipemia) | elevated plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins |
| Erythrocytosis | abnormal increase in the number of circulating red blood cells |
| Thrombocytopenia (thrombopenia) | abnormal decrease in the number of platelets |
| Leukopenia | abnormal decrease in the number of white blood cells |
| Leukemia | malignancy characterized by a progressive increase of abnormal leukocytes |
| Anemia | disorder characterized by lower than normal levels of red blood cells in the blood |
| Aplastic anemia | marked by an absence of all formed blood elements |
| plast | growth |
| hemolytic anemia | red blood cells are destroyed faster than the bone marrow can replace them |
| Iron-deficiency anemia | develops if not enough iron is available to bone marrow to make hemoglobin; may be caused by inadequate iron intake, malabsorption of iron, pregnancy and lactation, or chronic blood loss |
| megaloblastic anemia | the bone marrow produces megaloblasts which are large abnormal RBC with a reduced capacity to carry oxygen; almost always caused by a vitamin deficiency |
| Pernicious anemia | autoimmune disorder in which the RBC are abnormally formed due to an inability to absorb Vitamin B12 |
| pernicious | destructive, fatal, or harmful |
| Sickle cell anemia | genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, which resutls in the RBC assumin an abnormal sickle shape which interfers with normal blood flow |
| Thalassemia (Cooley's anemia) | group of genetic disorders characterized by short-lived RBC that lack the normal ability to produce hemoglobin |
| Essential hypertension (primary hypertension) (idiopathic hypertension) | consistently elevated blood pressure of unknown origin |
| idiopathic | of unknown cause |
| Secondary hypertension | caused by a different medical problem |
| Malignant hypertension | sudden onset of severly elevated blood pressure; can be life-hreatening and commonly damages small vessels in the brain, retina, heart, and kidneys |
| pulse oximeter | external monitor that is placed on the pt's finger to measure the amt of oxygenated blood in the circulartory system; 96 - 100 is normal |
| Angiography | radiographic study of the blood vessels after the injection of a contrast medium |
| Angiocardiography | uses a contrast medium and chest x-rays to visualize the dimensions of the heart and large blood vessels |
| Cardiac catheterization (CC) | procedure where a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and is guided into the heart to determine how well the heart is working; can be used for treatment purposes also |
| Phlebography | technique or preparing an x-ray image of veins injected with a contrast medium |
| electrocardiogram (ECG) (EKG) | record of the electrical activity of the myocardium |
| Holter monitor | portable ECG that is worn by an ambulatory pt to continuously monitor the heart rates and rhythms over a 24 hour period |
| Stress tests | are ECGs used to assess cardiovascular health and function during and after the application of stress such as exercise on a treadmill |
| thallium stress test | flow of blood thru the heart during activity is assissed thru the use of thallium during a stress test |
| Echocardiography (ECHO) | ultrasonic diagnostic procedure used to evaluate the structures and motion of the heart |
| ech/o | sound |
| Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) | ultrasonic procedure that images the heart from inside the esophagus; produces clearer images than those obtained with echocardiography |
| ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors) | used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure (CHF), interferes with the action of the kidney hormone renin that causes the heart muscles to squeeze |
| Beta-blockers | slow the heartbeat |
| Calcium channel blockers | reduce the contraction of the muscles that squeeze blood vessels tight; used for hypertension, angina, and arrhythmia |
| Diuretics | increase urine secretion to rid the body of excess sodium and water, and are administered to treat hypertension and CHF |
| Statins (cholesterol lowering drug) | used to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides or to raise HDL (good) cholesterol |
| Digoxin (digitalis) | slows and strengthens the heart muscle contractions and is used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and CHF |
| Nitroglycerin | vasodilator; used to relieve the pain of angina; administered sublingually (under the tongue), thru the skin, or orally |
| anticoagulant (thrombolytic | slows blood clotting and prevents new clots from forming |
| antiarrhythmic | administered to control irregularities of the heartbeat |
| Tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) | clot-dissovling enzyme used for the immediate treatment of heart attack victims |
| vasoconstrictor | constricts the blood vessels |
| vasodilator | dilates the blood vessels |
