Cardiovascular System Combining Forms

Diagnostic Procedures Relating to the Cardiovascular System

• Angiography: X-ray recording of blood vessels after injection of a contrast agent
• Cardiac Catheterization: procedure in which a small tube is pushed through a blood vessel until it reaches the heart
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): records patterns of electrical activity in the heart
• Pericardiocentesis: procedure in which a hollow needle is inserted through the chest wall into the fibrous sac surrounding the heart
• Sphygmomanometry: measurement of blood pressure using a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer)
• Stress Test: measures a patient's cardiovascular response to exertion using a treadmill or other exercise equipment

Therapeutic Procedures Relating to the Cardiovascular System

• Balloon Angioplasty: procedure in which a deflated balloon is pushed through a blood vessel to a site of obstruction and is inflated to restore the vessel to its normal size
• Cardioversion: application of an electrical shock to the chest to restore a normal rhythm to the heartbeat
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): procedure in which a vein taken from the leg or other part of the body is grafted onto the heart to circumvent an obstruction in a coronary artery
• Phlebotomy: surgical opening of a vein (e.g., to draw blood or remove a blood clot)
• Valvotomy: surgical incision into a valve, usually to increase the size of the opening
• Valvuloplasty: surgical repair or replacement of a valve

Abbreviations Relating to the Cardiovascular System

• AED: Automated External Defibrillator
• AMI: Acute Myocardial Infarction
• AS: Aortic Stenosis, Arteriosclerosis
• ASD: Atrial Septal Defect
• BP: Blood Pressure
• bpm: Beats per minute
• CAD: Coronary Artery Disease
• CCU: Coronary/Cardiac Unit
• CABG: Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
• CHD: Coronary Heart Disease
• CHF: Congestive Heart Failure
• CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• CTA: Computed Tomography Angiography
• CVA: Cerebrovascular Accident
• CVD: Cardiovascular Disease
• ECG (EKG): Electrocardiogram, Electrocardiography
• HTN: Hypertension
• LDL: Low-Density Lipoprotein
• MI: Myocardial Infarction
• mm Hg: Millimeters of mercury
• MVP: Mitral Valve Prolapse
• PAP: Pulmonary Arterial Pressure
• PCI: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
• PTCA: Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty
• PVD: Peripheral Vascular Disease
• PYP: Pyrophosphate
• SA: Sinoatrial
• 99m Tc: Technetium-99m
• VF, v fib: Ventricular Fibrillation
• VSD: Ventricular Septal Defect

Pathologies Relating to the Cardiovascular System

• Angina Pectoris: severe chest pain and a feeling of suffocation
• Angiospasm: sudden contraction of the smooth muscle in a blood vessel wall, which can temporarily interrupt blood flow
• Arrhythmia: any irregularity in the heartbeat
• Cardiac Arrest: cessation of cardiac function due to nonsynchronous muscular contractions
• Coronary Artery Disease: any disease process that impairs the ability of the coronary arteries to deliver an adequate supply of blood to the heart muscle
• Embolism: sudden blockage of an artery by a clot or other particle circulating in the blood
• Hypertension: consistently elevated blood pressure
• Hypotension: abnormally low blood pressure
• Ischemia: temporary oxygen deficiency due to interruption of blood flow to a tissue or an organ
• Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: enlargement of the left ventricular wall
• Murmur: soft blowing sounds heard between normal beats of the heart
• Myocardial Infarction: heart attack; also known as infarction (area of tissue death)
• Raynaud's Phenomenon: vascular disorder in which the fingers and toes become cold, numb, and painful as a result of temporary constriction of blood vessels in the skin
• Rheumatic Heart Disease: heart disease characterized by rheumatic fever due to persistent streptococcal infection