cardiology-emt vocab

12 lead ECG

an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) records the electrical signal from your heart to check for different heart condition that uses 12 leads attached to the patient's skin; these include the limb leads and chest leads

premature contractions

are extra heartbeats that begin in one of your heart's two lower pumping chambers (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt your regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing you to feel a fluttering or a skipped beat in your ches

myocardial ischemia

blockage of blood to the heart muscle also known as a heart attack

thrombus

blood clot

Ecchymosis

bruising

ptosis

drooping of eyelid

hyperventilate

excessively rapid and deep breathing

syncopal episode

fainting spell

Tachycardia

fast heart rate, above 100 bpm

Atherosclerosis

hardening of the arteries primary cause of acute coronary syndrome

transient ischemic attack (TIA)

have all of the signs and symptoms of a stroke not permanent can fully recover

myocardial infarction

heart attack

Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome

is a condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway in the heart that leads to periods of rapid heart rate (tachycardia). WPW syndrome is one of the most common causes of fast heart rate problems in infants and children

onotic pressure

is a form of pressure that pulls fluids into the bloodstream

Hypoglycemia

low blood sugar

Hypovolemia

low blood volume

prone position

lying face down

suspine position

lying on back, facing upward

antiprostaglandin

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug

epistaxis

nosebleed

Apneic

not breathing

metabolic shock

occurs when illness goes untreated (diabetes) or when extensive fluid loss occurs

when to withhold nitroglycerin

on patients whose BP is below 100 mmHg systolic (top) or those whose heart rate is greater than 100/minute.

edema

puffy swelling of tissue from the accumulation of fluid

hypovolemic shock

shock resulting from blood or fluid loss, presents with pale skin, narrow pulse with tachycardia

Antiplatelet drugs

substances that prevent platelet plugs from forming, prevents blood clotting

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

sudden and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant

acute coronary syndrome

sudden symptoms of insufficient blood supply to the heart indicating unstable angina or acute myocardial infarction

Bell's Palsy

temporary paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve that causes paralysis only on the affected side of the face

Hemodynamics

the science of the blood flow through the circulation

sympathetic discharges

typically occurs during the "fight-or-flight" response and during exercise, involves the simultaneous stimulation of organs and tissues throughout the body

fibrillation

uncontrolled quivering or twitching of the heart muscle

Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen

unilateral deficit facial paresis, hand grip weakness, and arm drift, prehospital stroke screening

witnessed vs non-witnessed cardiac arrest

using an AED immediately in cases of witnessed cardiac arrest In non-witnessed cases of cardiac arrest begin CPR (chest compressions)

Nitroglycerin

vasodilator, a medicine that opens blood vessels to improve blood flow. It is used to treat angina symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure, that happens when there is not enough blood flowing to the heart

-emesis

vomiting

syncope

"Passing out", loss of consciousness or fainting

phases of heart attack

1) the electrical phase, which extends from the time of cardiac arrest to approximately 4 minutes following the arrest; (2) the circulatory phase, from approximately 4 to approximately 10 minutes after cardiac arrest; (3 .)metabolic phases of cardiac arrest

How effective is the best possible CPR technique compared to a normal cardiac output?

25%

distributive shock

A condition that occurs when there is widespread dilation of the small arterioles, small venules, or both

Arrythmia

Abnormal heart rhythm

proper rate and depth for adult chest compressions

Adult CPR is 100-120 compressions per minute at depth of 2 - 2.4 inches.

conversion reaction

Anxiety is channeled into physical symptoms

Atrioventricular (AV) dissociation

Any dysrhythmia in which the atria and ventricles beat independently (e.g., VT, complete AV block).

STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction)

Elevation of the ST segment of the 12-lead ECG that is likely evidence that the patient is having a heart attack

nystagmus

Involuntary rapid eye movements

ROSC

Return of spontaneous circulation

cardiogenic shock

Shock caused by inadequate function of the heart, or pump failure.

obstructive shock

Shock that occurs when there is a block to blood flow in the heart or great vessels, causing an insufficient blood supply to the body's tissues.

stroke

Sudden loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the brain.

angina

a condition of episodes of severe chest pain due to inadequate blood flow to the myocardium

cardiac catheterization

a diagnostic procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and then guided into the heart

aneurysm

a localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery most commonly congenital

Vasovagal syncope

also called fainting is the temporary loss of vascular tone a common physiological response consisting of slow heart rate and low blood pressure that sometimes occurs in people with blood/illness/injury phobias