See also supraventricular tachycardia SVT. Patent ductus arteriosus — A congenital defect in which the opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery does not close after birth.
Patent foramen ovale — An opening between the left and right atria the upper chambers of the heart. Everyone has a PFO before birth, but in 1 out of every 3 or 4 people, the opening does not close naturally, as it should, after birth. Percutaneous coronary intervention PCI — Any of the noninvasive procedures usually performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
Angioplasty is an example of a percutaneous coronary intervention. Also called a transcatheter intervention. Pericarditis — Inflammation of the outer membrane surrounding the heart. When pericarditis occurs, the amount of fluid between the two layers of the pericardium increases. This increased fluid presses on the heart and restricts its pumping action.
Pericardiocentesis — A diagnostic procedure that uses a needle to withdraw fluid from the sac or membrane surrounding the heart pericardium. Plaque — A deposit of fatty and other substances in the inner lining of the artery wall characteristic of atherosclerosis. Platelets — One of the three types of cells found in blood; they aid in the clotting of blood.
Polyunsaturated fat — The major fat in most vegetable oils, including corn, safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils. These oils are liquid at room temperature. Positron emission tomography PET — A test that uses information about the energy of certain elements in your body to show whether parts of the heart muscle are alive and working. A PET scan can also show if your heart is getting enough blood to keep the muscle healthy. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome POTS — A disorder that causes an increased heart rate when a person stands upright.
Prevalence — The total number of cases of a given disease that exist in a population at a specific time. Pulmonary embolism — A condition in which a blood clot that has formed elsewhere in the body travels to the lungs. Pulmonary valve — The heart valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery that controls blood flow from the heart into the lungs.
Pulmonary vein — The blood vessel that carries newly oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart. Radial artery access — Using the radial artery in the wrist as the entry point for the catheter in an angioplasty or stent procedure. Also called transradial access, the transradial approach, or transradial angioplasty.
Radionuclide imaging — A test in which a harmless radioactive substance is injected into the bloodstream to show information about blood flow through the arteries. Damaged or dead heart muscle can often be identified, as can serious narrowing in an artery.
Radionuclide studies — Any of the diagnostic tests in which a small amount of radioactive material is injected into the bloodstream. The material makes it possible for a special camera to take pictures of the heart. Restenosis — The re-closing or re-narrowing of an artery after an interventional procedure such as angioplasty or stent placement.
Revascularization — A procedure to restore blood flow to the tissues. Coronary artery bypass surgery is an example of a revascularization procedure. Rheumatic fever — A disease, usually occurring in childhood, that may follow a streptococcal infection. Symptoms may include fever, sore or swollen joints, skin rash, involuntary muscle twitching, and development of nodules under the skin.
Rheumatic heart disease — A disease of the heart mainly affecting the heart valves caused by rheumatic fever. Right ventricular assist device RVAD — A mechanical device that can be placed outside the body or implanted inside the body.
Risk factor — An element or condition involving a certain hazard or danger. When referring to heart and blood vessels, a risk factor is associated with an increased chance of developing cardiovascular disease, including stroke. Saccular aneurysm — A round aneurysm that bulges out from an artery; involves only part of the circumference outside wall of the artery.
Sarcoidosis — An inflammatory disease that starts as tiny, grain-like lumps called granulomas, which most often appear in your lungs or lymph nodes. The granulomas can clump together and form larger lumps that attack other organs. Sarcoidosis often affects your skin, eyes, or liver, but it can lead to heart problems, such as irregular heartbeats arrhythmias or restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Saturated fat — Type of fat found in foods of animal origin and a few of vegetable origin; they are usually solid at room temperature. Abundant in meat and dairy products, saturated fat tends to increase LDL cholesterol levels, and it may raise the risk of certain types of cancer.
Septal defect — A hole in the wall of the heart separating the atria or in the wall of the heart separating the ventricles. Septum — The muscular wall dividing a chamber on the left side of the heart from the chamber on the right. Also called an introducer sheath. Shock — A condition in which body function is impaired because the volume of fluid circulating through the body is insufficient to maintain normal metabolism.
This may be caused by blood loss or by a disturbance in the function of the circulatory system. Silent ischemia — Episodes of cardiac ischemia that are not accompanied by chest pain. The node is a group of specialized cells in the top of the right atrium which produces the electrical impulses that travel down to eventually reach the ventricular muscle, causing the heart to contract.
Sodium — A mineral essential to life found in nearly all plant and animal tissue. Table salt sodium chloride is nearly half sodium. Stem cells — Special cells in the body that are able to transform into other cells. It is possible for stem cells to transform into heart cells, nerve cells, or other cells of the body, possibly helping to improve the function of failing organs, including the heart.
The more severe form of the 2 types of heart attack. Stent — A device made of expandable, metal mesh that is placed by using a balloon catheter at the site of a narrowing artery. The stent is then expanded and left in place to keep the artery open. Stenosis — The narrowing or constriction of an opening, such as a blood vessel or heart valve. Stokes-Adams disease — Also called third-degree heart block; a condition that happens when the impulses that pace your heartbeat do not reach the lower chambers of your heart the ventricles.
This rhythm can cause severe dizziness or fainting and can lead to heart failure or death. Streptokinase — A clot-dissolving medicine used to treat heart attack patients. Stress — Bodily or mental tension resulting from physical, chemical, or emotional factors. Stress can refer to physical exertion as well as mental anxiety. Stroke — A sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain, either by a clot or a leak in a blood vessel.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage — Bleeding from a blood vessel on the surface of the brain into the space between the brain and the skull. Subclavian arteries — Two major arteries right and left that receive blood from the aortic arch and supply it to the arms. Sudden death — Death that occurs unexpectedly and instantaneously or shortly after the onset of symptoms. The most common underlying reason for patients dying suddenly is cardiovascular disease, in particular coronary heart disease.
Superior vena cava — The large vein that returns blood from the head and arms to the heart. Syncope — A temporary, insufficient blood supply to the brain which causes a loss of consciousness. Usually caused by a serious arrhythmia. Systolic blood pressure — The highest blood pressure measured in the arteries. It occurs when the heart contracts with each heartbeat. Tachycardia — Accelerated beating of the heart. Paroxysmal tachycardia is a particular form of rapid heart action, occurring in seizures that may last from a few seconds to several days.
Tamponade — Also called cardiac tamponade. A condition in which the heart is compressed or constricted because of a large amount of fluid or blood in the space between the heart muscle and the sac that surrounds the heart the pericardium. Thallium stress test — An x-ray study that follows the path of radioactive potassium carried by the blood into heart muscle. Damaged or dead muscle can be defined, as can the extent of narrowing in an artery. Thrombosis — A blood clot that forms inside the blood vessel or cavity of the heart.
Thrombolytic therapy — Intravenous or intra-arterial medicines that are used to dissolve blood clots in an artery. Thyroid — A gland located in the front of the neck, just below the voice box.
Tissue plasminogen activator tPA — A clot-dissolving medicine that is used to treat heart attack and stroke patients. Trans fat — Created when hydrogen is forced through an ordinary vegetable oil hydrogenation , converting some polyunsaturates to monounsaturates, and some monounsaturates to saturates.
Trans fat, like saturated fat, tends to raise LDL cholesterol levels, and, unlike saturated fat, trans fat also lowers HDL cholesterol levels. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation TAVI — A minimally invasive procedure to repair a damaged or diseased aortic valve. A catheter is inserted into an artery in the groin and threaded to the heart.
A balloon at the end of the catheter, with a replacement valve folded around it, delivers the new valve to take the place of the old. Transcatheter intervention — Any of the noninvasive procedures usually performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Angioplasty is an example of a transcatheter intervention.
Also called a percutaneous coronary intervention PCI. Transesophageal echocardiography — A diagnostic test that analyzes sound waves bounced off the heart. The sound waves are sent through a tube-like device inserted in the mouth and passed down the esophagus food pipe , which ends near the heart. This technique is useful in studying patients whose heart and vessels, for various reasons, are difficult to assess with standard echocardiography. Transient ischemic attack TIA — A stroke-like event that lasts only for a short time and is caused by a temporarily blocked blood vessel.
Transplantation — Replacing a failing organ with a healthy one from a donor. Triglyceride — The most common fatty substance found in the blood; normally stored as an energy source in fat tissue. High triglyceride levels may thicken the blood and make a person more susceptible to clot formation. High triglyceride levels tend to accompany high cholesterol levels and other risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity.
Ultrasound — High-frequency sound vibrations, which cannot be heard by the human ear, used in medical diagnosis. Valve replacement — An operation to replace a heart valve that is either blocking normal blood flow or causing blood to leak backward into the heart regurgitation. Valvuloplasty — Reshaping of a heart valve with surgical or catheter techniques. Vein — Any one of a series of blood vessels of the vascular system that carries blood from various parts of the body back to the heart, returning oxygen-poor blood to the heart.
Ventricular Assist Device VAD — A mechanical pump that helps the ventricles pump blood, easing the workload of the heart in patients with heart failure. Ventricular fibrillation — A condition in which the ventricles contract in a rapid, unsynchronized fashion. When fibrillation occurs, the ventricles cannot pump blood throughout the body. Ventricular tachycardia — An arrhythmia abnormal heartbeat in the ventricle characterized by a very fast heartbeat. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome — A condition in which an extra electrical pathway connects the atria two upper chambers and the ventricles two lower chambers.
It may cause a rapid heartbeat. X-ray — Form of radiation used to create a picture of internal body structures on film. Visit U. A-Z All Cardiovascular Glossary. Defect - A physical abnormality, e. Dextrocardia - A condition in which the heart lies in the right side instead of the left of the chest.
The heart may be normal or have other defects. Diastole - The time during which the ventricular heart muscle relaxes after each contraction, between each heart beat. Digoxin - A medicine given to strengthen the heart contraction or reduce the heart rate. Disease - This term may be used by the doctors to describe either a congenital defect or an acquired condition, and their effects.
Diuretics - Medicine to help the body to get rid of the excess fluid which may build up in the lungs or elsewhere in the body in congestive heart failure, e. It does this by causing the kidneys to increase their production of urine. Other medicine, e.
Donor Valves Homograft or Cadaver Valves - A heart valve usually the aortic or pulmonary valve , taken from the heart of a child or adult soon after death, which can be kept sterile and frozen to preserve its structure.
It can be used as a replacement for a defective or missing valve in a child or adult having heart surgery. Double Inlet Left Ventricle Dilv - A condition in which both atria are connected to the left ventricle. The right ventricle is usually very small.
Blood from the left ventricle passes through a VSD to the right ventricle to reach the great arteries. Ductus - The blood vessel connecting the aorta with the pulmonary artery before birth. The full name is 'Ductus Arteriosus'. It usually closes within the early days or weeks after birth. Echocardiogram Echo - An ultrasound scan of the heart. Very high frequency sound waves ultrasound are used to create a moving picture of the heart and of blood flowing through it, using a sophisticated computer.
This test detects most heart defects and can provide detailed information about the nature and severity of heart problems of many kinds. The test is not painful, but requires that the child remain still for 10 to 20 minutes sometimes longer. Some children may benefit from mild sedation to help them cooperate during the scan. Effusion - A collection of fluid in an area such as the pericardium or the pleural cavity. Such a collection, if it is large, may lead to buildup of pressure on the heart or lungs, and often results in deterioration in their function, and so it may need to be drained.
Electrocardiogram ECG - A test to measure the heart's electrical activity with each heart beat. Wires are attached to the skin of the arms, legs and chest, using soft, stickon discs called 'electrodes'. A tracing is printed on paper and gives information about the heart rate and regularity, as well as providing data about enlargement of the heart chambers and thickening of heart muscle, which may provide useful information about the nature and severity of heart problems.
Endocarditis - An infection of the endocardium, which occurs as Acute rapid onset or Sub acute more gradual onset Infective Endocarditis.
Such infections are much more likely to develop in patients with existing abnormalities of heart valves or other cardiac defects e. VSD or PDA than in people with entirely healthy hearts, who are regarded as being " at risk " , though they occasionally occur in individuals with no preexisting heart problem.
Endocarditis Prophylaxis - Use of antibiotics to prevent endocarditis at times when bacteria may be expected to enter the bloodstream e. See Protocol for prevention. Endocardium - The smooth membrane which lines the inner surface of the heart, the surface of the four heart valves and the inside of the great vessels aorta and main pulmonary artery.
Fallots Tetralogy - A common heart defect associated with cyanosis. The name 'Fallot' refers to the French doctor who described the features of the defect. Blood then flows directly into the lung circulation, after returning from the body, without going through the right ventricle as would happen in a normal heart. This operation is named after a French surgeon Francis Fontan.
General Practitioner GP - Your family doctor. It is helpful to first visit your GP when your heart child is reasonably well. Then, when your child is ill, the doctor can see how skin colour, breathing, heart sounds, etc. Haemoglobin - The red blood pigment which carries oxygen in the red blood cells. Heart Block - A condition in which there is damage to, or a defect or disease affecting the conducting tissue which carries the electrical stimulation for the contractions of the heart.
If the condition is 'partial', the heart rhythm may be normal for much of the time, but in more severe forms, especially when 'complete', the heart may beat very slowly and become seriously ineffective. A patient with this problem may need an artificial pacemaker. Heartlung Bypass - A technique employed for nearly all open heart operations by which the circulation is supported by a machine.
The machine takes over the function of both the heart and the lungs the 'heartlung bypass machine' , while the surgeon opens the heart to perform an operation inside it see 'Open Heart Operation' And 'Bypass Operation'. Heart Sounds - The sounds heard normally with the doctor's stethoscope which result from closure of the heart valves with each heart beat. The two atrioventricular valves mitral valve and tricuspid valve close at the beginning of each beat, producing the 'first heart sound'.
The two arterial valves pulmonary valve and aortic valve close at the end of each heart beat, producing the 'second heart sound'. Homograft - Usually refers to a replacement heart valve which comes from the heart of a 'donor'. The valve is not subject to rejection and does not require anti-rejection drugs. Such valves may function better than an artificial valve and do not necessitate anti-coagulant medications - but they do not last as well as artificial valves.
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome - A condition in which the left side of the heart is poorly developed and unable to pump blood into the systemic circulation effectively.
Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome - A condition in which the right side of the heart is poorly developed and unable to pump blood into the pulmonary circulation effectively. Hypotension - Low blood pressure in the systemic circulation a problem quite often encountered after heart surgery and may need treatment with medications to raise the blood pressure.
Hypertension - High blood pressure. The term usually refers to high pressure in the systemic circulation. However 'pulmonary hypertension' means elevation of pressure in the lung circulation. Hypertrophy - Thickening or enlargement of a structure.
Left ventricular hypertrophy means thickening of the wall of the left ventricle. Incompetent - A term used to refer to 'leakage' at a heart valve. The valve is incompetent if it fails to close effectively and does not prevent 'backflow'.
The flow of blood backwards through a valve, which should be closed, is referred to as 'regurgitation' or 'incompetence'.
Infection - Occurs when a microorganism which can produce disease invades a living tissue. Inflammation is one of the body's reactions to infection. Inflammation - Occurs when a living tissue is reacting to an injury or an infection. Swelling, pain or redness in the tissue are signs of inflammation. Innocent Murmur - A murmur heard in healthy children, which does not signify any underlying heart disease or defect. These soft heart murmurs are very common and are of no significance.
Intensive Care Unit ICU - The special medical and nursing unit to which patients go for a few hours or days after major heart surgery or if they are extremely ill. This area is used to ensure very close monitoring, and ready availability of medical and nursing staff and equipment to cater for any emergency. It is available for seriously ill children, with a wide variety of medical problems, and for those who have had open heart operations, or other major heart surgery, especially if they need 'ventilator' treatment.
Interrupted Aortic Arch - A condition in which the upper and lower aorta are completely separated a severe form of coarctation. A large VSD is nearly always present. Interventional Procedures - Procedures of this type may be used to stretch open a narrow valve or blood vessel, using a catheter with an inflatable balloon Illustration. Alternatively, a tiny 'spring coil' may be inserted to block off an abnormal and unwanted blood vessel Illustration , or an expanding plug usually referred to as a 'device' may be placed to close a hole such as an ASD or VSD.
The fluid usually flows from a polythene bag or bottle and can be seen to 'drip' into a small container chamber , which is connected by a tube to a cannula in the vein. Most children will have a 'drip' following an anaesthetic or after heart surgery. In small babies and in children who need continuous medications by 'drip', the medications may be given by a motorised syringe pump, which controls the rate of administration very precisely.
Long QT Syndrome - A condition affecting the electrical pathways of the heart. Mitral Atresia - Complete obstruction to the mitral valve. Mitral Stenosis - Narrowing of the mitral valve resulting from a congenital defect of the valve leaflets or disease of the valve.
Mitral Valve - The valve at the junction of the left atrium with the left ventricle, which controls flow of blood into the ventricle, before each beat, and prevents backflow. Murmur - A noise, heard with the doctor's stethoscope or occasionally with the naked ear , which results from turbulence eddies in the flow of blood through the heart or blood vessels.
Myocardial infarction — Death of a portion of the heart muscle tissue due to a blockage or interruption in the supply of blood to the heart muscle.
Myocardium — The middle and the thickest layer of the heart wall, composed of cardiac muscle. Premature atrial contraction PAC — A contraction in the atrium which is initiated by an ectopic focus and occurs earlier than the next expected normal sinus beat.
Premature ventricular contraction PVC or VPD — A contraction in the ventricle which is initiated by an ectopic focus and occurs earlier than the next expected normal sinus or escape rhythm beat. Sinoatrial SA Node — The heart's natural pacemaker located in the right atrium.
Electrical impulses originate here and travel through the heart, causing it to beat. Sudden cardiac death SCD — Death due to cardiac causes within 1 hour of the onset of symptoms, with no prior warning. Supraventricular tachycardia SVT — A rapid heartbeat originating from above the ventricles.
Syncope — Fainting, loss of consciousness, or dizziness which may be due to a change in cardiac rhythm arrhythmia or other causes. Tachycardia Tachyarrhythmia — Rapid beating of either or both chambers of the heart, usually defined as a rate over beats per minute. Ventricular Fibrillation VF — Very fast, chaotic, quivering heart contractions that start in the ventricles. During VF, the heart does not beat properly. This often results in fainting. If left untreated, it may result in cardiac arrest.
Blood is not pumped from the heart to the rest of the body. Death will occur if defibrillation is not initiated within 6 minutes from the onset of VF. Ventricular Tachycardia VT — A rapid heart rate that starts in the ventricles. During VT, the heart does not have time to fill with enough blood between heart beats to supply the entire body with sufficient blood.
It may cause dizziness and light-headedness. A Ablation — The removal, isolation or destruction of cardiac tissue or conduction pathways involved in arrhythmias. Arrhythmia — Any heart rhythm that falls outside the accepted norms. B Bradycardia Bradyarrhythmia — A heart rate that is abnormally slow; commonly defined as under 60 beats per minute or a rate that is too slow to physiologically support a person and their activities.
C Cardiac Arrest — Failure of the heart to pump blood through the body. Chronic lead — A pacemaker or ICD lead which has been implanted in the past.
0コメント