Glossary of Terms
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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| Cardiac | Pertains to the heart. Sometimes refers to a person who has heart disease. |
| Cardiac Arrest | The cessation of the heartbeat. As a result, blood pressure drops abruptly and circulation of blood ceases. |
| Cardiologist | A specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. |
| Cardiology | The study of the heart and it functions in health and disease. |
| Cardiomyopathy | A disease of the heart muscle. There are two broad categories: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Abnormal thickening of the heart muscle sometime familial. Dilated cardiomyopathy: Abnormal thinning of the heart muscle often with chamber enlargement. |
| Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | An emergency measure used by one or two people to artificially maintain another person's breathing and circulation if these functions suddenly stop. CPR is done by keeping the airway open, performing rescue breathing and external cardiac compression, or heart massage, to keep oxygenated blood circulating through the vital organs of the body. |
| Cardiovascular | Pertains to the heart and blood vessels. |
| Carditis | Inflammation of the heart. |
| Catheter | A thin, flexible tube that can be guided through the blood vessels. A cardiac catheter is made of woven plastic, or other material to which blood will not adhere, and is inserted into a vein or artery, usually of an arm or leg and gently threaded into the heart. This progress can be watched on a fluoroscope. |
| Catheterization | In cardiology, the process of introducing a thin, flexible tube, called a catheter, into a vein or artery and guiding it through the heart chambers and surrounding vessels for purposed of examination or treatment. |
| Cineangiocardiography | A diagnostic method similar to angiocardiography, except that instead of still x-ray pictures, motion pictures of the heart are made as an injected opaque liquid is carried through the heart and blood vessels. |
| Clubbed Fingers | Fingers with a short broad tip and overhanging nail, somewhat resembling a drumstick. This condition sometimes seen in children born with certain kinds of cyanotic heart defects and in adults with heart, lung or gastrointestinal disease. It may also be hereditary and insignificant. |
| Coarctation of the Aorta | A congenital narrowing of the aorta, the main artery that conducts blood from the heart to the body. |
| Congenital Anomaly | An abnormality present at birth. |
| Congenital Heart Defect | Malformation of the heart or of its major blood vessels present at birth. |
| Congestive Heart Failure | Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump the amount of needed blood to the body. This results from any anatomic or chemical abnormality that leads to congestion in the body and/or lung tissues. Congestive heart failure may develop gradually over several years or it can be acute. It can be treated by drugs and /or, in some cases by surgery. |
| Coronary Arteries | The two arteries that arise from the aorta, then arch down over the top of the heart and branch out to provide blood to the working heart muscle. |
| Coumadin | A drug given by mouth to slow blood clotting. Sometimes called a "blood thinner". |
| CTA | CTA - or computerized tomography angiography, is a CT scan performed while contrast is injected through a peripheral IV. If the coronary arteries are being evaluated, the heart rate must be slowed down with a medication called a beta-blocker. This is an ideal way to visualize vascular rings and its association with airway anatomy. Radiation is used in a CTA. |
| Cyanosis | Blueness of skin caused by insufficient oxygen in the blood. When hemoglobin is not carrying oxygen it is dark burgundy and is called 'reduced hemoglobin'. The blueness if the skin occurs when critical amounts of reduced hemoglobin is present. |