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Heart Attack-Glossary

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Heart Attack- Glossary

ANGINA : Heart pain of short duration, usually located in the front of the chest.

ANGIOGRAPHY : X-ray of the blood vessels after injection of radio-opaque substance.

ANEURYSM : Localized abnormal dilation of an artery, aorta or the heart.

ANEURYSMECTOMY : Surgical removal of the sac of aneurysm.

ANGIOPLASTY : Plasty surgery performed on a blood vessel.

AORTA : The largest artery of the body into which the heart pumps the blood and which distributes this blood to the whole body through its numerous branches.

ARTERY : A tube-like structure that carries blood from the heart to the tissues.

ATHEROMA : A plaque of fatty deposit in the wall of an artery.

ATRIUM: A chamber of the heart which receives the blood from the body ( right) or from the lungs (left).

BICYCLE ERGOMETERY : A stationary cycle used in determining the amount of work performed by the rider.

BLOOD VESSELS : The tubes that carry blood, i.e., arteries and veins.

CARDIAC ARREST: Sudden stoppage of the heart beat.

CONTRAST MEDIUM : Radio-opaque substance used for X-ray work, including angiography.

CORONARY BYPASS : A shunt established surgically which permits blood to travel from the aorta to a branch of the coronary artery at a point past an obstruction, by passing the latter.

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY : A non-invasive diagnostic method that uses ultrasound waves to visualize internal structures of the heart.

EMBOLISM: Obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot (embolus) brought from a thrombus in a distant blood vessel.

HYPERTENSION: High blood pressure.

ICCU: Intensive Coronary Care Unit.

IHD or ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE or CORONARY HEART DISEASE : Narrowing and thus causing obstruction of the coronary artery due to atheroma, which is sufficient to prevent adequate blood supply to the heart muscle, causing angina and heart attack.

INFARCT : An area of necrosed (dead) tissue following cessation of blood supply to it.

ISCHAEMIA : (pronounced is-kee-mia): Inadequate flow of blood to a part caused by obstruction to its blood supply.

LIPID : Fat.

LUMEN: Bore of a blood vessel.

MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: Death of a part of the heart muscle following cessation of blood supply to it; acute heart attack.

NECROSIS: Area of dead tissue surrounded by a healthy area.

RESUSCITATION: Revival after apparent death.

SCINTISCAN: Use of scintiphotography to produce a map of scintillations produced when a radioactive substance is introduced into the body. The intensity of the record indicates the differentials accumulation of the radioactive substance in various parts of body.

THROMBOSIS: Formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within a blood vessel.

TISSUE : Formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within a blood vessel.

VEIN :A tube that carries blood from the tissues back to the heart.

VENTRICLE : a chamber of the heart which pumps blood into the aorta (left) or into the lungs ( right).