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