| cardiac | <cardiology> Pertaining to the heart. Origin: L. Cardiacus from Gr. Kardiakos (16 Dec 1997) |
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| cardiac accident | Sudden cardiac catastrophe, such as may result from coronary occlusion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac albuminuria | Albuminuria caused by congestive heart failure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac alternation | The occurrence of any cardiac phenomenon every other beat. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac aneurysm | Thinning, stretching, and bulging of a weakened ventricular wall, usually as a result of myocardial infarction; rarely postinflammatory or congenital. Synonym: mural aneurysm, ventricular aneurysm. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac arrest | This refers to the complete cessation of cardiac activity (heartbeat). (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac arrhythmia | A disturbance the electrical activity of the heart that manifests as an abnormality in heart rate or heart rhythm. Patients with a cardiac arrhythmia may experience a wide variety of symptoms ranging from palpitations to fainting. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac asthma | An asthmatic attack, the bronchoconstriction being secondary to the pulmonary congestion and oedema of left ventricular failure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac ballet | Short runs of cardiac dysrhythmia consisting of uniform sequences of repetitive multiform extrasystoles; so called from its undulating appearance, originally described by Bellet. See: torsade de pointes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac blood pool imaging | This noninvasive test uses radioactive tracers to delineate the hearts chambers and major vessels. It may be used to detect a heart attack, heart muscle function and coronary artery disease. The patient receives a radioactive tracer by injection (into a vein) and then the heart is imaged using a gamma camera. The heart is imaged before and after exercise. This test may be used to detect and evaluate atrial septal defect, dilated cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, Lyme disease (secondary), mitral stenosis and superior vena cava syndrome. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac care facilities | Institutions specializing in the care of patients with heart disorders. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cardiac catheter | <cardiology> A catheter that can be passed into the heart through a vein or artery, to withdraw samples of blood, measure pressures within the heart's chambers or great vessels, and inject contrast media. It is used mainly in the diagnosis and evaluation of congenital, rheumatic, and coronary artery lesions and to evaluate systolic and diastolic cardiac function. Synonym: cardiac catheter. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac catheterisation | Cardiac catheterisation has given physicians the opportunity to directly diagnose and ascertain the extent of coronary artery occlusive disease. Using this procedure, physicians can make more accurate decisions concerning the best form of treatment for each patients condition. Cardiac catheterisation involves the placement of a thin flexible, hollow tube into the femoral artery in the groin. From here, the catheter is advanced under X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy) through the aorta to the heart. Radiopaque contrast, injected into the coronary arteries (as they branch off the aorta) will serve to highlight the course of these vessels when an X-ray is performed. Any coronary blockage or narrowing can be detected using this procedure. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac cell | Strictly speaking any cell of or derived form the cardium of the heart, but often used loosely of heart cells. (18 Nov 1997) |
| cardiac cirrhosis | An extensive fibrotic reaction within the liver as a result of chronic constrictive pericarditis or prolonged congestive heart failure; true cirrhosis with fibrous bridging of lobules is unusual. Synonym: cardiac liver, congestive cirrhosis, pseudocirrhosis, stasis cirrhosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abnormal cleavage of cardiac valve | Congenital malformation of a valve leaflet with a defect extending from the free margin. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| anterior cardiac veins | Two or three small veins in the anterior wall of the right ventricle opening directly into the right atrium independently of the coronary sinus. Synonym: venae cordis anteriores. (05 Mar 2000) |
| area of cardiac dullness | A triangular area determined by percussion of the front of the chest; it corresponds to the part of the heart that is not covered by lung tissue. (05 Mar 2000) |
| great cardiac vein | <anatomy, vein> Begins at the apex of the heart (where it anastomoses with the middle cardiac vein), runs first with the anterior interventricular artery as it ascends the anterior interventricular groove, then turns to the left as it approaches or reaches the coronary groove to run with the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery; it merges with the oblique vein of the left atrium to form the coronary sinus. Synonym: vena cordis magna, left coronary vein, vena cardiaca magna. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle cardiac vein | <anatomy, vein> Begins at the apex of the heart (where it anastomoses with the great cardiac vein), and ascends within the posterior interventricular sulcus to the coronary sinus. Synonym: vena cordis media, inferior cardiac vein. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle cervical cardiac nerve | <anatomy, nerve> One of the cardiopulmonary splanchnic nerves conveying postsynaptic sympathetic fibres running downward, from the middle cervical ganglion along the subclavian artery (on the left) or the brachiocephalic (on the right side) to join the cardiac plexus. Synonym: nervus cardiacus cervicalis medius. (05 Mar 2000) |
| small cardiac vein | <anatomy, vein> An inconstant vessel, accompanying the right coronary artery in the coronary sulcus, from the right margin of the right ventricle, and emptying into the coronary sinus or the middle cardiac vein. Synonym: vena cordis parva. (05 Mar 2000) |
| smallest cardiac veins | Numerous small valveless venous channels that open directly into the chambers of the heart from the capillary bed in the cardiac wall, enabling a form of collateral circulation unique to the heart. Synonym: smallest cardiac veins, thebesian veins. (05 Mar 2000) |
| superficial cardiac plexus | The superficial and smaller subdivision of the cardiac plexus, formed by the left superior cardiac nerves from the left vagus and cervical sympathetic trunk; it is found beneath the aortic arch, between the arch and the bifurcation of the pulmonary trunk. Synonym: plexus cardiacus superficialis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| superior cervical cardiac branches of vagus nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Uppermost of the branches of vagus nerve conducting presynaptic parasympathetic fibres to, and reflex afferent fibres from, the cardiac plexus; branching from the vagi close to the base of the skull. Synonym: rami cardiaci cervicales superiores nervi vagi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| superior cervical cardiac nerve | <anatomy, nerve> The uppermost of the cardiopulmonary splanchnic nerves which arises from the lower part of the superior cervical ganglion and passes down to form, with branches of the vagus, the cardiac plexus. Synonym: nervus cardiacus cervicalis superior. (05 Mar 2000) |
| death, sudden, cardiac | The sudden cessation of cardiac contraction, leading to death of the heart and, ultimately, of the individual, resulting from ventricular tachycardia-fibrillation or asystole. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deep cardiac plexus | The deeper part of the cardiac plexus. Synonym: plexus cardiacus profundus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| inferior cardiac vein | <anatomy, vein> Begins at the apex of the heart (where it anastomoses with the great cardiac vein), and ascends within the posterior interventricular sulcus to the coronary sinus. Synonym: vena cordis media, inferior cardiac vein. (05 Mar 2000) |
| inferior cervical cardiac branches of vagus nerve | <anatomy, nerve> The most inferior of the cervical branches of vagus nerve conducting presynaptic parasympathetic fibres to, and reflex afferent fibres from, the cardiac plexus; branching from the vagi at root of neck. Synonym: rami cardiaci cervicales inferiores nervi vagi. (05 Mar 2000) |