Ch 17 - Cardiovascular Emergencies

• The heart's job is to pump blood to supply oxygen-enriched RBCs to body tissues
• septum


  wall that divides the heart down the middle into the left and right sides
• atrium


  upper chamber of the heart that receives incoming blood
• ventricle


  lower chamber of the heart that pumps outgoing blood
• Blood leaves each of the 4 chambers of the heart thru a one-way valve. These valves keep the blood moving thru the circulatory system in the proper direction.
• aorta


  body's main artery that receives blood ejected from the L ventricle and delivers it to all other arteries so they can carry blood to tissues of the body
• Acute coronary syndrome (ACS)


  A group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia; includes angina and myocardial infarction
• Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)


  A heart attack; death of heart muscle following obstruction of blood flow to it. "Acute" in this context means "new" or "happening right now"
• Angina pectoris


  Transient (short-lived) chest discomfort caused by partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle; also called angina
• Anterior


  The front surface of the body; the side facing you in the standard anatomic position
• Aorta


  The main artery, which receives blood from the left ventricle and delivers it to all the other arteries that carry blood to the tissues of the body
• Aortic aneurysm


  A weakness in the wall of the aorta that makes it susceptible to rupture
• Aortic valve


  The one-way valve that lies between the left ventricle and the aorta and keeps blood from flowing back into the left ventricle after the left ventricle ejects its blood into the aorta; one of four heart valves
• Artifact


  A tracing on an ECG that is the result of interference, such as patient movement, rather than the heart's electrical activity
• Asystole


  The complete absence of all heart electrical activity
• Atherosclerosis


  A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow
• Atrium


  One of the two upper chambers of the heart
• Automaticity


  The ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract without stimulation from the nervous system
• Autonomic nervous system


  The part of the nervous system that controls the involuntary activities of the body such as the heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion of food
• Bradycardia


  A slow heart rate, less than 60 beats/min
• Cardiac arrest


  When the heart fails to generate effective and detectable blood flow; pulses are not palpable in cardiac arrest, even if muscular and electrical activity continues in the heart
• Cardiac output


  A measure of the volume of blood circulated by the heart in 1 minute, calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate
• Cardiogenic shock


  A state in which not enough oxygen is delivered to the tissues of the body, caused by low output of blood from the heart. It can be a severe complication of a large acute myocardial infarction, as well as other conditions
• Congestive heart failure (CHF)


  A disorder in which the heart loses part of its ability to effectively pump blood, usually as a result of damage to the heart muscle and usually resulting in a backup of fluid into the lungs
• Coronary arteries


  The blood vessels that carry blood and nutrients to the heart muscle
• Defibrillate


  To shock a fibrillating (chaotically shaking) heart with specialized electric current in an attempt to restore a normal, rhythmic beat
• Dependent edema


  Swelling in the part of the body closest to the ground, caused by collection of fluid in the tissues; a possible sign of congestive heart failure
• Dilation


  Widening of a tubular structure such as a coronary artery
• Dissecting aneurysm


  A condition in which the inner layers of an artery, such as the aorta, become separated allowing blood (at high pressures) to flow between the layers
• Dysrhythmia


  An irregular or abnormal heart rhythm
• Hypertensive emergency


  An emergency situation created by excessively high blood pressure, which can lead to serious complications such as stroke or aneurysm
• Infarction


  Death of a body tissue, usually caused by interruption of its blood supply
• Inferior


  Below a body part or nearer to the feet
• Ischemia


  A lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permanent injury has not yet occurred
• Lumen


  The inside diameter of an artery or other hollow structure
• Myocardium


  The heart muscle
• Occlusion


  A blockage, usually of a tubular structure such as a blood vessel
• Parasympathetic nervous system


  The part of the autonomic nervous system that controls vegetative functions such as digestion of food and relaxation
• Perfusion


  The circulation of oxygenated blood within an organ or tissue in adequate amounts to meet the cells current needs
• Posterior


  The back surface of the body; the side away from you in the standard anatomic position