| A | B |
|---|
| Aneurysm | an enlarged, dilated portion of an artery that is more than one and a half times the artery's circumference. A true aneurysm, the defect must involve all three layers, or tunics. |
| Angina Pectoris | The paroxysysmal (severe, usually episodic, increase in symptoms) thoracic pain and choking feeling caused by decreased oxygen or anoxia (lack of oxygen) of the myocardium. |
| Arteriosclerosis | A common arterial disorder characterized by thickening, loss of elasticity, and calcification of arterial walls, resulting in a decreased blood supply) is the underlying problem associated with peripheral vascular disorders. |
| Atherosclerosis | Is characterized by yellowish plaques of cholesterol, lipids, and cellular debris in the inner layers of the walls of large and medium sized arteries. |
| Bradycardia | A slow rhythm originating in the SA node. Characterized by a heart rate less than 60 bpm or even less than 50 bpm. |
| B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) | A neurohormone secreted by the heart in response to ventricular expansion. Elevated greater than 100 pg/ml indicates HF. BNP is present in the ventricle of the heart and correlates well to left ventricular pressure. The greater the BNP level the more severe the HF. |
| Cardioversion | The restoration of the heart's normal sinus rhythm by delivery of a synchronized electrical shock through two metal paddles placed on the patient's chest. |
| Defibrillation | The termination of ventricular fibrillation by delivering a direct electrical countershock to the patient's precordium. |
| Dysrhythmia | Or arrhythmia, refers to any cardiac rhythm that deviates from normal sinus. |
| Embolus | A foreign object, a quantity of air or gas, a bit of tissue or a piece of a thrombus that circulates in the bloodstream until it becomes lodged in a vessel. |
| Endarterectomy | the surgical removal of the intimal lining of an artery. |
| Heart Failure | a syndrome traditionally defined as circulatory congestion as a result of the heart's inability to act as an effective pump. |
| Hyponatremia | low sodium |
| Hypoxema | an abnormal deficiency of oxygen in the arterial blood. |
| Intermittent claudication | a weakness of the legs accompanied by cramplike pains in the calves caused by poor circulation of the arterial blood to the leg muscles. Pain may also be felt in the thighs and buttocks. As arterial disease progresses and becomes chronic, pain occurs even at rest. |
| Ischemia | Decresased blood supply to a body organ or part, often marked by pain and organ dysfunction. Of the heart muscle results in chest pain or angina. |
| Myocardial Infarction (MI) | an occlusion of a major coronary artery or one of its branches with subsequent necrosis of myocardium caused by atherosclerosis or an embolism. |
| Occlusion | An obstruction or closing off in a canal, vessel, or passage of the body. Coronary occlusion is the general term for occlusion of a coronary artery. |
| Orthopnea | An abnormal condition in which a person must sit or stand to breathe deeply or comfortably |
| Peripheral | Pertaining to the outside, surface, or surrounding area |
| Pleural Effusion | An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the thoracic cavity between the visceral and parietal pleurae. |
| Polycythemia | An abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood. |
| Pulmonary edema | an accumulation of extravascular fluid in the lung tissue and alveoli, most often caused by HF; is an acute and extensive, life-threatening complication of HF caused by severe left ventricular dysfunction. Fluid from the left side of the heart backs up into the pulmonary vasculature and results in extravascular fluid accumulation in the interstitial space and alveoli causing the pt. to "drown" in the secretions. |
| Tachycardia | A rapid, regular rhythm origination in the SA node. HR of 100-150 or more. |
