Cardiovascular
Vocabulary/Word Parts/Abbreviations
Vocabulary
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Aneurysm
Atherosclerosis
Bilateral Presence
Blood Pressure
Coronary
Diastolic Blood
Pressure
• Hepatic Circulation
• Myocardial infarction
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Pulmonary circulation
Pulse rate
Pulse Rhythm
Pulse volume
Stethoscope
Systemic circulation
Systolic Blood Pressure
Vein
Word Parts
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Erythr/o
Leuk/o
TachyArter/o
Ather/o
Atri/o
Cardi/o
Coron/o
Valv/o
Phleb/o
Hem/o
Hemat/o
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-itis
-ac
-emia
-lysis
-malacia
-megaly
-osis
-rrhexis
-sclerosis
-stenosis
Abbreviations
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BP
CABG
CCU
ECG/EKG
MI
ECHO
ASHD
CHD
CHF
Vocabulary KEY
• Aneurysm – an area of a blood vessel that bulges because of a weakness in
the wall.
• Atherosclerosis – hardening of blood vessels caused by deposits of fatty
material containing calcium and cholesterol.
• Bilateral Presence – When you assess pulses, they should be found within
the same areas on both sides of the body and have the same rate, rhythm,
and volume.
• Blood Pressure – The force of the blood against the walls of the arteries.
• Coronary – Pertaining to the heart; coronary arteries supply blood to the
heart muscle.
• Diastolic Blood Pressure – Dilation of the heart, resting phase or filling of
the ventricles, alternating with systole.
• Hepatic Circulation – Refers to the path of the blood from the intestines,
gallbladder, pancreas, stomach and spleen through the liver.
• Myocardial infarction – Heart attack; blood flow to the heart is cut off.
Vocabulary KEY
• Pulmonary circulation – Carrying venous blood from the right ventricle to
the lungs and returning oxygenated blood to the left atrium of the heart.
• Pulse rate – Expression of speed or frequency of an event in relation to a
specified amount of time, number of contractions of the heart per minute.
• Pulse Rhythm – The pattern of the heartbeats; should be regular or have
evenly paced beats.
• Pulse volume – The strength of the pulse; measurement of the pulse as it
presses against the arterial wall and against your fingertips when you
palpate the area.
• Stethoscope – An instrument used to listen to body sounds (auscultation
such as the heart beat.
• Systemic circulation – General circulation; carrying oxygenated blood from
the left ventricle to tissues of the body and returning the venous blood to
the right atrium of the heart.
• Systolic Blood Pressure – Filling of the atria and contraction of the
ventricles of the heart, alternating with diastole.
• Vein – Carry blood towards the heart.
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Word Parts KEY
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Erythr/o - Red
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Leuk/o - White
Tachy- – Fast, rapid
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Arter/o - Artery
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ather/o – plaque, fatty •
substance
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Atr/i - Atrium
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Cardi/o - Heart
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coron/o - Coronary
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Valv/o - Valve
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phleb/o - Vein
hem/o - Blood
hemat/o - Blood
-itis – Inflammation of
-ac – Pertaining to
-emia – Blood, blood condition
-lysis – Breakdown, separation
-malacia – Abnormal softening
-megaly - Enlargement
-osis – Abnormal condition
-rrhexis - Ruptures
-sclerosis – Abnormal hardening
-stenosis – Abnormal narrowing.
Abbreviations KEY
• BP – Blood pressure
• CABG – Coronary artery bypass grafting (creating new routes
around narrowing or blocked coronary arteries).
• CCU – Coronary care unit (a hospital ward specialized in the
care of patients with heart attacks, unstable angina, cardiac
dysrhythmia and (in practice) various other cardiac
conditions that require continuous monitoring and
treatment).
• ECG/EKG – Electrocardiogram; electrocardiography (records
the electrical activity of the heart).
• MI – Mitral insufficiency; myocardial infarction (a disorder in
which the heart's mitral valve suddenly does not close
properly, causing blood to flow backward (leak) into the
upper heart chamber when the left lower heart chamber
contracts).
Abbreviations KEY
• ECHO – Echocardiogram; echocardiography
(ultrasound of the heart).
• ASHD – Arteriosclerotic heart disease
• CHD – Congenital heart defects; coronary heart
disease (when the heart cannot pump at its usual
capacity; vital organs do not receive enough
oxygen).
• CHF – Congestive heart failure (a condition in which
the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the
rest of the body).