The Heart from A to Z

Angiocardiography: An X-ray examination of the blood vessels or chambers of the heart. It is made by tracing the course of a special fluid (called contrast or dye), visible by X-ray, that has been injected into the bloodstream. The X-ray pictures are called angiograms.

Aorta: The large artery that receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart and distributes it to the body.

Aorta Valve: The heart valve between the left ventricle and the aorta. It has three flaps, or cusps.

Arrhythmia (Dysrhythmia): An abnormal rhythm of the heart.

Artery: Any one of a series of vessels that carry blood from the heart to the various parts of the body.

Atresia: The absence of a normal opening.

Atrium: Either one of the two upper chambers of the heart in which blood collects before being passed to the ventricles; also called auricle.

Bacterial Endocarditis: Bacterial Endocarditis (BE) is an infection caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream and settle in the heart lining, a heart valve or a blood vessel. Although Bacterial Endocarditis is uncommon, a child with a heart defect has a greater risk of developing it.

Bacterial Endocarditis Prophylaxis: This is what doctors call the prevention of Bacterial Endocarditis. Prevention is necessary before your child has surgery or dental work that may allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream.

Balloon Angioplasty: A procedure in which a balloon is inserted into a narrowed area of a blood vessel. When the balloon is inflated, the narrowed area is stretched open and then the balloon is removed. Also called balloon dilation angioplasty.

Balloon Valvuloplasty: A procedure in which a balloon is inserted into the opening of a narrowed heart valve. When the ballon is inflated, the valve is stretched open and then the balloon is removed.

Blood Pressure: The force or pressure exerted by the heart in pumping blood; pressure of the blood in the arteries.

Bradycardia: Low heart rate. You have a low heart rate when you are relaxing or sleeping.

Cardiac: Pertaining to the heart.

Cardiac Arrest: When the heart stops beating.

Cardiology: The study of the heart and its functions in health and disease.

Cardiovascular: Pertaining to the heart and blood vesels.

Catheterization: The process of examining the heart by inserting a thin tube (catheter) into a vein or artery and passing it into the heart. It is done to sample oxygen, measure pressure and make X-ray movies.

Common Atrioventricular Canal (Endocardial Cushion Defect): A heart defect characterized by a hole between the two atriums called a Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), a hole between the two ventricles called a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), and a common opening between all the chambers of the heart.

Congenital Heart Defect: Part of the heart or its major blood vessels that is not formaed properly and does not work as it should at birth.

Congestive Heart Failure: The inability of the heart to pump out all the blood that returns to it. This results in blood backing up in the veins that lead to the heart. Sometimes fluid builds up in various parts of the body.

Coronary Arteries: Two arteries arising from the aorta. The arteries arch down over the top of the heart, branch and provide blood to the working heart muscle.

Cyanosis: Blueness of skin caused by a shortage of oxygen in the blood.

Diastolic Blood Pressure: The blood pressure inside the arteries when the heart muscle is relaxed.

Digoxin: A drug often used in treating congestive heart failure. It makes the contraction of the heart muscle stronger, slows the rate of heart beats and helps remove extra fluid from body tissues. It's also used sometimes to treat certain arrhythmias.

Diuretic: A drug that increases the rate that urine forms. It promotes the excretion of water and salts.

Doppler: See ultrasound.

Ductus Arteriosus: The Ductus Arteriosus is a little artery-like structure which has muscles in its walls located between the main Pulmonary Artery and the Aorta and is usually present in all babies before birth. When a baby is exposed to oxygen the Ductus closes on its own.

Dysrhythmia (Arrhythmia): An abnormal rhythm of the heart.

Echocardiography: A diagnostic method in which pulses of sound are transmitted into the body. The echoes returning from the surfaces of the heart and other structures are plotted and recorded on electronic equipment.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): A graphic record of electrical impulses produced by the heart.

Endocardial Cushion Defect: See Common Atrioventricular Canal

Endocarditis: An inflammation of the inner lining of the heart or heart valves.

Heart Rate: The number of times the heart beats per minute.

High Blood Pressure: A chronic increase in blood pressure above the normal range. The increase persists over two or more measurements.

Hypertension: Same as high blood pressure.

Hypothermia: A procedure that lowers a patient's body temperature during surgery. It stops all blood circulation so the surgeon can safely repair the heart.

Mitral Valve: The heart valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. It has two flaps, or cusps.

Open-Heart Surgery: Surgery done on the opened heart while the bloodstream is diverted through a heart-lung machine.

Pacemaker: The "natural" pacemaker of the heart is called the sinus node. The sinus node is a small mass of special cells in the top of the right atrium of the heart. It produces the electrical impulse that goes to the left atrium and travels down to reach the ventricular muscle. These impulses cause the heart to contract or "beat."
The term "artificial pacemaker" is applied to an electrical device that can be used to replace a defective natural pacemaker or conduction pathway. The artificial pacemaker controls the heart's beating and rhythm by emitting a series of electrical discharges.

Physiologic Tachycardia: When the heart normally beats fast. The heart is beating fast to supply the blood with more oxygen and nutrients during a high energy need such as exercise.

Pulmonary Artery: The large artery that receives blood from the right ventricle and takes it to the lungs.

Pulmonary Hypertension: This means the pressure in the Pulmonary Arteries is high.

Pulmonary (pulmonic) Valve: The heart valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. It has three flaps, or cusps.

Pulmonary Valve Stenosis: Narrowing of the Pulmonic Valve.

Regurgitation: The abnormal backward flowing of blood through a valve of the heart.

Rubella: Commonly known as German measles.

Septum: One of the muscular walls dividing the two chambers on the left side of the heart from the two chambers on the right. The atrial septum separates the top chambers and the ventricular septum separates the bottom chambers.

Stenosis: The narrowing or constriction of an opening (such as a heart valve).

Syncope: Syncope is the medical term for fainting. Fainting is a sudden, temporary, loss of consciousness and muscle strength that results in falling down.

Systolic Blood Pressure: Pressure inside the arteries when the heart contracts with each beat.

Tachycardia: Fast heart rate.

Tetralogy of Fallot: Discovered Dr. Fallot, this heart defect is four defects in one: a large Ventricular Septal Defect, an overiding Aorta, Pulmonic Valve Stenosis, and a large Right Ventricle.

Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection: A heart defect characterized by all the Pulmonary Veins coming back from the lungs to the Left Atrium that do not empty into the Left Atrium. Instead they go through a small chamber which then empties into a single large vein that goes to the right side of the heart.

Transposition of the Great Arteries: A heart defect where the great arteries coming out of the heart are transposed.

Tricuspid Valve: The heart valve between the right atrium and right ventricle. It has three flaps, or cusps.

Tricuspid Valve Atresia: A heart defect characterized by a Tricuspid Valve does not develop, an underdeveloped Right Ventricle, an Arial Septal Defect (ASD), a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), and a severly underdeveloped Pulmonary Valve and Artery.

Truncus Arteriosus: A heart defect characterized by single large arterial vessel called a Truncus Valve coming out of the heart and overriding a large hole between the two ventricles known as a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). The pulmonary arteries originate from the large vessel.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound vibrations, that a human ear cannot hear, used in medical diagnosis. In pediatric cardiology the ultrasound test includes both echocardiography (shows a picture of the heart) and the Doppler test (analyzes blood flow).

Valve: An opening, covered by membrane flaps, between two chambers of the heart or between a chamber of the heart and a blood vessel. When it's closed, no blood normally passes through.

Vascular: Pertaining to the blood vessels.

Vein: Any one of a series of vessels that carry blood from various parts of the body back to the heart.

Ventricle: One of the two lower chambers of the heart.