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Glossary of Terms used in Pediatric
Cardiology
-A-
Acyanotic Heart Disease: Heart Defect which is not accompanied by
Cyanosis
Angiocardiography: An X-ray examination of the Heart and blood
vessels / chambers of the heart by injecting a dye (special fluid) in
the blood stream.
Aortic Stenosis: A congenital Heart Defect where a narrowing of
the aortic valve is observed.
Aorta: A Blood Vessel that receives blood from the left ventricle
and distributes it to the body.
Aortic Valve: The Valve in the heart in between the left
ventricle and the aorta.
Arrhythmia: An abnormal rhythm of the heart
Artery: A vessel that transports the blood from the heart to the
body.
Atresia: A lack of embryological development, which results in
the absence of a normal opening.
Atria: (Atrium) The two upper chambers of the heart where the
blood is collected, then passed to the ventricles.
Atrioventricular Canal: A congenital Heart defect consisting of
two holes: one between the two atriums and one between the two
ventricles. It is characterized as well by an opening between all the
chambers of the heart.
-B-
Bacterial Endocarditis: An inflammation of the inner lining of
the heart or the heart valve, caused by a bacteria.
Balloon: A procedure in which a balloon is inserted into a
narrowed area of the heart. The balloon is then inflated resulting in
the opening of the narrowed area and then the balloon is removed. There
are two main balloon procedures: Balloon Angioplasty where the narrowed
area is a blood vessel, and Balloon Valvuloplasty where the narrowed
area is a heart valve.
Bradycardia: Slow heart rate. The heart rate is normally slow at
rest.
-C-
Cardiac: Coming from Latin meaning related to the heart.
Cardiology: The study of the heart and its function
Cardiomyopathy: Is a disease of the muscle of the heart. The
Cardiomyopathy is called Dilated when the heart muscle is thickened and
is called Hypertrophic when it is thinned.
Catheterization: A procedure done to examine the structure,
chambers, vessels and pressure of the heart. A cathether (thin tube) is
inserted into a vein or artery to measure the pressure. A dye is also
injected through the catheter to obtain x-ray movies of the heart.
Closed Heart Surgery: It is a minor surgical procedure of the
heart in which the heart continues to pump throughout the procedure.
Color Doppler: Is the technology used in the echocardiography
showing the flow of the blood in order to differentiate between normal
and abnormal blood flow.
Congenital Heart Disease: When a heart or its major blood vessel
is defective because of an abnormal embryological development.
Congestive Heart Failure: A condition where the heart cannot pump
out all the blood.
Coronary Arteries: Two arteries arising from the aorta. They
provide blood to the heart muscle.
Cyanosis: Blue discoloration of the skin resulting from a
shortage of oxygen in the blood.
-D-
Dextrocardia: Condition where, because of an abnormal
development, the cardiac apex (Tip of ventricles) is rightwards instead
of leftwards.
Diuretic: A drug that increases urinary output.
Double inlet left ventricle: A cardiac defect in which the both
valves, the Mitral and the Tricuspid, open into the left ventricle.
Double outlet right ventricle: A cardiac defect in which both
major vessels, the pulmonary artery and the aorta, emerge from the right
ventricle.
-E-
Ebstein’s Anomaly: A rare birth defect in which the Tricuspid
Valve, usually located between the upper and the lower right chamber, is
misplaced. Therefore, the oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood mixes and
the body does not receive enough oxygen.
Echocardiogram: A device used to image the heart using the
ultrasound waves.
Electrocardiogram: Also called ECG or EKG. It is a graphic record
of the electrical impulses produced by the heart.
Endocarditis: An inflammation of the inner lining of the heart.
-H-
Heart Rate: The number of time the heart beats per minute.
Hypertension: Also called high blood pressure. It is when there
is an increase in blood pressure over the normal range for three
consecutive measurements.
-I-
Inferior Vena Cava: Major vein, transporting blood from the body
and lower extremities.
Intravenous: Within the vein.
-K-
Kawasaki Disease: An acquired condition affecting the lining of
the blood vessels and the heart muscle.
-M-
Mesocardia: When the heart has an abnormal position, in
the center of the chest.
Mitral Valve: The valve in between the left atrium and the left
ventricle.
Myocardium: Muscle of the heart.
-O-
Open Heart Surgery: A surgical procedure done on the opened heart
whereby the heart is stopped. The circulation is maintained through a
heart lung machine that provides blood and oxygen to the body and
removes carbon dioxide.
Oxygen Saturation: The extend to which the hemoglobin is
saturated with oxygen. A normal oxygen saturation is 95-100 % if the
blood of leaving the heart to the body and 75 % if the blood is
returning to the heart after delivering oxygen to the body. If the Blood
leaving the heart to the body is less saturated than normal, it is
called oxygen desaturation.
-P-
Pacemaker: It is the tissue of the heart that generates the sinus
heartbeat. Normally it is the sinus node in the top of the right atrium.
In case of defective natural pacemaker, an artificial pacemaker is used.
This is an electrical device that emits electrical discharges to control
the heartbeats.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A condition where the Ductus Arteriosus,
a channel between the pulmonary artery and the aorta, remains patent or
open after birth. Normally, this channel closes as soon as the baby is
exposed to oxygen.
Patent Foreman Ovale: A condition where the Foreman Ovale, an
opening between the right and the left atria, fails to close after
birth. It allows blood to circulate between the right and the left atria
in unborn children.
Pediatric Cardiology: The study and practice of the children’s
heart and cardiovascular system.
Pulmonary Artery: It is a blood vessel that transports blood from
the right ventricle to the lungs.
Pulmonary Valve: A valve between the pulmonary artery and the
right ventricle.
Pulmonary Hypertension: A high pressure in the pulmonary
arteries.
Pulmonary Veins: Veins that transport oxygen-rich blood from the
lungs to the left atrium. There are four pulmonary veins.
-R-
Regurgitation: The abnormal backward leakage of a valve. When the
valve is deformed, it is unable to prevent the backward flow of the
blood through the valve even when it closes.
Rheumatic Fever: An acquired disease that causes inflammation of
several tissues in the body, particularly joints, skin, heart and
central nervous system.
-S-
Septum: A muscular wall separating the left side from the right
chambers of the heart. The atrial septum separates the top chambers and
the ventricular septum separates the lower chambers.
Signs: Abnormal findings detected during physical examination.
Stenosis: The narrowing or constriction.
Superior Vena Cava: A major vein transporting blood from the head
and upper extremities.
Symptoms: A complaint of a body ailment.
Syncope: Also called fainting. It is a loss of consciousness
because of an abnormal blood flow to the brain.
-T-
Tachycardia: Fast heart rate.
Tetralogy of Fallot: A congenital heart disease consisting of
four defects: a ventricular septal defect, an enlargement of the right
ventricle, pulmonic valve stenosis or narrowing and an overriding aorta.
Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return: A condition in which the
four pulmonary veins that come back from the lung with oxygen-rich blood
to the heart do not empty in the left atrium but in a large vein that
goes to the right side.
Transposition of the great arteries: A congenital heart defect
where the two major arteries (pulmonary artery and the aorta) are
reversed. This leads to the mixing of the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor
blood.
Tricuspid Valve: The valve between the right atrium and the right
ventricle.
Truncus Arteriosus: A congenital heart disease where the major
heart arteries fail to separate, therefore the baby has one single large
arterial vessel called Truncus Valve stemming from the heart instead of
proper chambers.
-V-
Valve: An opening between two chambers of the heart or between
one chamber and a blood vessel. It allows blood to go into one direction
and prevents it to go backwards. There are four valves: the Tricuspid,
Mitral, Pulmonary and aortic.
Ventricular Septal Defect: A congenital heart defect
characterized by a hole in the ventricular septum, the wall that divides
the two ventricles.
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