Cardiac Terminology PDF

1. **Inspection:** using the senses of vision, smell, & hearing to observe and detect any expected or abnormal findings 2. **Palpation:** using parts of the hand to touch and feel for expected or abnormal findings 3. **Auscultation:** an assessment technique that requires use of a s...

1. **Inspection:** using the senses of vision, smell, & hearing to observe and detect any expected or abnormal findings 2. **Palpation:** using parts of the hand to touch and feel for expected or abnormal findings 3. **Auscultation:** an assessment technique that requires use of a stethoscope to listen for sounds that are not audible to the human ear 4. **Stethoscope Diaphragm:** when held firmly against the skin, the diaphragm picks up high-pitched sounds such as breath sounds 5. **Stethoscope Bell:** when held lightly against the skin, the bell picks up abnormal low-pitched sounds such as extra heart sounds, murmurs, or bruits 6. **Precordium**: the anterior chest area that overlies the heart and great vessels 7. **Intercostal Space (ICS)**: the space between two ribs 8. **Midclavicular Line (MCL)**: an imaginary line parallel to the long axis of the body and passing through the midpoint of the clavicle 9. **Apex of the Heart:** the inferior (bottom) tip of the heart --located at the Left 5^th^ ICS MCL 10. **Base of the Heart:** the top of the heart 11. **Atrioventricular (AV) Valves:** the triscupid valve and the mitral (bicuspid) valve 12. **Semilunar Valves:** the pulmonic valve and the aortic valve 13. **Pericardium:** a tough, loose-fitting, fibrous sac that surrounds the heart 14. **Electrocardiogram EKG (or ECG):** a recording of the electrical activity of the cardiac muscle 15. **Cardiac Cycle:** consists of diastole and systole---the filling and emptying of the heart's chambers 16. **Bruit:** a blowing or swishing sound heart upon auscultation over an artery---cased by turbulent blood flow through a narrowed vessel and is indicative of occlusive arterial disease 17. **Murmur:** an abnormal swishing sound heard upon auscultation over the heart/precordium---caused by turbulent blood flow through the heart valves or great vessels 18. **Heaves (or Lifts):** abnormal visible pulsations on the right-precordium 19. **Thrills:** abnormal vibrations felt upon palpation of the apex, left sternal border, and base---associated with a grade IV or higher murmur 20. **MI:** myocardial infarction 21. **CHF:** congestive heart failure 22. **acute coronary syndrome**: a constellation of signs and symptoms due to the rupture of atherosclerotic plaque and resultant partial or complete thrombosis within a diseased coronary artery; leads to unstable angina or acute myocardial infarction 23. **afterload**: the amount of resistance to ejection of blood from the ventricle 24. **apical** **impulse**: impulse normally palpated at the fifth intercostal space, left midclavicular line; caused by contraction of the left ventricle; also called the point of maximal impulse 25. **atrioventricular** **(AV) node**: secondary pacemaker of the heart, located in the right atrial wall near the tricuspid valve 26. **baroreceptors**: nerve fibers located in the aortic arch and carotid arteries that are responsible for control of the blood pressure 27. **cardiac** **catheterization**: an invasive procedure used to measure cardiac chamber pressures and assess patency of the coronary arteries 28. **cardiac** **conduction** **system**: specialized heart cells strategically located throughout the heart that are responsible for methodically generating and coordinating the transmission of electrical impulses to the myocardial cells 29. **cardiac** **output (CO)**: amount of blood pumped by each ventricle in liters per minute 30. **cardiac** **stress** **test**: a test used to evaluate the functioning of the heart during a period of increased oxygen demand; test may be initiated by exercise or medications 31. **contractility**: ability of the cardiac muscle to shorten in response to an electrical impulse 32. **depolarization**: electrical activation of a cell caused by the influx of sodium into the cell while potassium exits the cell 33. **diastole**: period of ventricular relaxation resulting in ventricular filling 34. **ejection** **fraction**: percentage of the end-diastolic blood volume ejected from the ventricle with each heartbeat 35. **hemodynamic** **monitoring**: the use of pressure monitoring devices to directly measure cardiovascular function 36. **hypertension**: blood pressure that is persistently greater than 140/90 mm Hg 37. **hypotension**: a decrease in blood pressure to less than 100/60 mm Hg that compromises systemic perfusion 38. **myocardial** **ischemia**: condition in which heart muscle cells receive less oxygen than needed 39. **myocardium**: muscle layer of the heart responsible for the pumping action of the heart 40. **normal** **heart** **sounds**: sounds produced when the valves close; normal heart sounds are S1 (atrioventricular valves) and S2 (semilunar valves) 41. **opening** **snaps**: abnormal diastolic sound generated during opening of a rigid atrioventricular valve leaflet 42. **postural** (**orthostatic**) **hypotension**: a significant drop in blood pressure (20 mm Hg systolic or more or 10 mm Hg diastolic or more) after an upright posture is assumed 43. **preload**: degree of stretch of the cardiac muscle fibers at the end of diastole 44. **pulmonary** **vascular** **resistance**: resistance to blood flow out of the right ventricle created by the pulmonary circulatory system 45. **pulse** **deficit**: the difference between the apical and radial pulse rates 46. **repolarization**: return of the cell to resting state, caused by reentry of potassium into the cell while sodium exits the cell 47. **S1**: the first heart sound produced by closure of the atrioventricular (mitral and tricuspid) valves 48. **S2**: the second heart sound produced by closure of the semilunar (aortic and pulmonic) valves 49. **S3**: an abnormal heart sound detected early in diastole as resistance is met to blood entering either ventricle; most often due to volume overload associated with heart failure 50. **S4**: an abnormal heart sound detected late in diastole as resistance is met to blood entering either ventricle during atrial contraction; most often caused by hypertrophy of the ventricle 51. **sinoatrial** (**SA**) **node**: primary pacemaker of the heart, located in the right atrium 52. **systole**: period of ventricular contraction resulting in ejection of blood from the ventricles into the pulmonary artery and aorta 53. **systolic** **click**: abnormal systolic sound created by the opening of a calcified aortic or pulmonic valve during ventricular contraction 54. **telemetry**: the process of continuous electrocardiographic monitoring by the transmission of radio waves from a battery-operated transmitter worn by the patient 55. **stroke** **volume**: amount of blood ejected from one of the ventricles per heartbeat 56. **systemic** **vascular** **resistance**: resistance to blood flow out of the left ventricle created by the systemic circulatory system