click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
AEMT Cardiac
Chapter 15 Cardiac Emergencies AEMT
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) | a term used to describe a group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia; includes angina and myocardial infarction |
Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) | Heart Attack; death of heart muscle following obstruction of blood flow to it. Acute in this contact means "new" or "happening right now" |
afterload | the resistance the heart must pump against, or the systemic vascular resistance |
angina pectoris | transient (short-lived) chest discomfort caused by partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle |
aorta | the main artery that receives blood from the left ventricle and delivers it to all the other arteries that carry blood tot he tissues of the body |
aortic aneurysm | a weakness in the wall of the aorta that makes it susceptible to rupture |
aortic arch | one of three described portion of the aorta; the section of the aorta between the ascending and descending portion that gives rise to the right brachiocephalic (innominate), left common carotid, and left subclavian arteries |
aortic valve | the one-way valve that lies between the left ventricle and the aorta; keeps blood from flowing back into the left ventricle after the left ventricle ejects its blood into the aorta and is one of four valves |
arrhythmia | an irregular or abnormal heart rhythm; also , absence of heart rhythm |
arteries | vessels of the circulatory system that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart |
arteriosclerosis | the thickening of the sartorial walls that results in a loss of elasticity and concomitant reduction in blood flow |
ascending aorta | the first of three portions of the aorta; originates form the left ventricle and gives rise to two branches, the right and left main coronary arteries |
asystole | complete absence of heart electrical activity |
atherosclerosis | a disorder in which cholesterol and possibly calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow |
Atrioventicular (AV) node | the site located in the right atrium adjacent to the septum that is responsible for transiently slowing electrical conduction |
Atrioventricular Valves | the two valves through which blood flows from the atria to the ventricles |
atrium | one of two (right and left) upper chambers of the heart |
automaticity | the ability of cardiac cells to generate an impulse to contract even when there is no external nervous stimulus |
autonomic nervous system | the part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary functions, such as heart, blood pressure, digestion, and sweating |
baroreceptors | receptors in the blood vessels, kidneys, brain, and heart that respond to change in pressure in the heart or main arteries to help maintain homeostasis |
bradycardia | slow heart rate, less than 60 beats/min |
capillaries | microscopic, thin-walled blood vessels through which oxygen and nutrients and carbon dioxide and waste products are exchanged |
cardiac arrest | a state in which the heart fails to generate an effective and detectable blood flow; pulses are not palpable in cardiac arrest, even if muscular and electrical activity continues in the heart |
cardiac cycle | the repetitive pumping process that begins with the onset of cardiac muscle contraction and ends just before the beginning of the next contraction |
Cardiogenic Shock | a state in which not enough oxygen is delivered to the tissue of the body, caused by low output of blood from the heart; can be a severe complication of large acute myocardial infarction, as well as other condition |
chemoreceptors | receptors in the blood vessels, kidney, brain and heart that respond to changes in chemical composition of the blood to help maintain homeostasis |
chordae tendineae | small muscular strands that attach the ventricles and the valves, preventing regurgitation of blood through the valves from the ventricles to the atria |
chronotropic state | related to the control of the heart's rate of contraction |
circumflex coronary artery | one of two branches of the left main coronary artery |
conduction system | a group of complex electrical tissues within the heart that initiate and transmit stimuli that result in contractions of myocardial tissues |
conductivity | the ability of the cardiac cells to conduct electrical impulses |
congestive chest failure | 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 |
contractility | the strength of heart muscle contraction |
coronary arteries | blood vessels that carry blood and nutrients to the heart muscle |
coronary artery disease | the condition that result when atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis is present in the arterial walls |
coronary sinus | the end of great cardiac vein that collects blood returning from the walls of the heart |
cusps | the flaps the comprise the heart valves |
defibrillate | to shock a fibrillating (chaotically beating) heart with specialized electrical current in an attempt to restore a normal rhythmic beat |
dependent edema | swelling in the part of the body closet to the ground, caused by collection of fluid in the tissues; a possible sign of congestive heart failure |
descending aorta | one of the three portions of the aorta, it is the longest portion and extends through the thorax and abdomen into the pelvis |
diastole | the relaxation phase of the heart, when ventricles are filling with blood |
dissecting aneurysm | a condition in which the inner layers of an artery, such as a aorta, become separated, allowing blood (at high pressures) to flow between the layers |
dromotropic state | related to the control of the heart's electrical conduction |
dysrhythmia | an irregular or abnormal heart rhythm |
ejection fraction | the portion of the blood ejected from the ventricle during systole |
epicardium | the layer of the serous pericardium that lies closely against the heart; also called the visceral pericardium |
excitability | a property of cardiac cells that provides the cells with the ability ti respond to electrical impulses |
fibrin | a whitish, filamentous protein formed by the action of thrombin on fibrinogen; the protein that bonds to form the fibrous component of a blood clot |
heart | a muscular, cone-shaped organ whose function is to pump blood throughout the body |
hemoglobin | an iron-containing protein within red blood cells that has the ability to combine with oxygen |
hemostasis | the body's natural blood-clotting mechanism |
hypertensive emergency | an emergency situation created by excessively high blood pressure, which can lead to serious complication such as stroke or aneurysm |
inferior vena cava | the principal vein draining blood from the lower portion of the body |
inotropic state | related to the strength of the heart;s contraction |
interatrial septum | a membrane that separates the right and left atria |
interventricular septum | a thick wall that separates the right and left ventricles |
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 |
left anterior descending Artery (LAD) | one of the two branches of the left coronary artery, which is the largest and shortest of the myocardial blood vessels; this and the circumflex coronary arteries supply blood to the left ventricle and other areas |
lumen | the inside diameter of an artery or other hollow structure |
macrophage | a cell that provides the body's first line of defense in the inflammatory response |
mediastinum | the area in the chest that lies between the lungs and contains the heart and great vessels and other structures |
mitral valve | the valve in the heart that separates the left atrium from the left ventricle |
myocardium | heart muscle |
occlusion | blockage, usually of tubular structure such as a blood vessel |
papillary muscles | specialized muscles that attach the ventricles to the cusps of the valves by muscular strands called chordae tendineae cords |
parasympathetic nervous system | a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system, involved in control of involuntary, vegetative function, mediated largely by the vagus nerve through the chemical acetylcholine |
pedal edema | swelling of the feet and ankles caused by collection of fluid in the tissues; a possible sign of congestive heart failure |
perfusion | the flow of blood through the body tissues and vessels |
pericardial fluid | a serous fluid that fills the space between the visceral pericardium and the parietal pericardium and helps to reduce friction |
pericardial sac | a thick fibrous membrane that surrounds the heart. also called the pericardium |
plasma | a sticky, yellow fluid that carries the blood cells and nutrients and transports cellular waste material to the organs of excretion |
platelets | tiny, disk shaped elements that are much smaller than the cells; they are essential in the initial formation of a blood clot, the mechanism that stop bleeding |
preload | the amount of blood returned to the heart to be pumped out; directly affects after load |
pulmonary circulation | the circulatory system in the body that carries blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs and back to the left side of the heart |
pulmonic valve | the semilunar valve that regulate blood flow between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery |
red blood cells (RBC's) | cells that carry oxygen to the body's tissues; also called erythrocytes |
semilunar valves | the two valves, the aortic and pulmonic valves, that divide heart from aortic and pulmonary arteries |
Sinoatrial (SA) node | the normal site of the origin of electrical impulse; located high in the right atrium, it is the heat's natural pacemaker |
Starling's Law | a principle that states that if a muscle is stretched slightly before stimulation to contract, the muscle will contract harder; describes how increased venous return to the heart stretches the ventricles and allows for increased cardiac contractility. |
stroke volume | the amount of blood that the left ventricle ejects into the aorta in each contraction |
superior vena cava | the principal vein draining blood from the upper portion of the body |
sympathetic nervous system | the part of the autonomic nervous system that controls active function such as responding to fear |
systemic circulation | the circulatory system in the body that is responsible for blood flow in all areas of the body, except for areas covered by pulmonary circulation (blood flow from the right side of the heart to the lungs and back to the left side of the heart) |
systole | contraction of the ventricular mass with its concomitant pumping of blood into the systemic circulation |
tachycardia | rapid heart rhythm, more than 100 bpm |
thrombin | an enzyme that causes the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, which binds to the platelet plug, forming the final mature clot |
thromboembolism | a blood clot that has formed within a blood vessels and is floating within the bloodstream |
tricuspid valve | the heart valve that separates the right atrium from the right ventricle |
tunica adventitia | the outer layer of tissue of a blood vessel wall of elastic and fibrous connective tissue |
tunica intima | the smooth, thin, inner lining of a blood vessel |
tunica medica | the middle and thickest layer of tissue of a blood vessel wall, composed of elastic tissue and smooth muscle cells that allow the vessel to expand or contract in response to changes in blood pressure and tissue demand |
veins | the blood vessels that transport unoxygenated blood back to the heart |
Ventricular Fibrillation | disorganized, ineffective twitching of the ventricles, resulting in no blood flow and a state of cardiac arrest |
Ventricular Tachycardia | rapid heart rhythm in which the electrical impulse begins in the ventricle, which may result in inadequate blood flow and eventually deteriorate into cardiac arrest |
venule | very small, thin-walled vessels |
white blood cells | blood cells that have a role in the body immune defense mechanisms against infection; also called leukocytes |