| nuclear pacemaker | A nuclear-powered unit used to generate the electrical current for artificially pacing the heart; replaced by units using long-life nickel-cadmium and other power sources. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| demand pacemaker | A form of artificial pacemaker usually implanted into cardiac tissue because its output of electrical stimuli can be inhibited by endogenous cardiac electrical activity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| diaphragmatic pacemaker | A device that paces the diaphragm, used in patients with chronic ventilatory insufficiency resulting from malfunction of the respiratory control centre on certain types of phrenic nerve malfunction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ectopic pacemaker | Any pacemaker other than the sinus node. (05 Mar 2000) |
| electronic pacemaker | An electric device that can substitute for the normal cardiac pacemaker, controlling the heart's rhythm by artificial electric discharges. Synonym: electronic pacemaker. (05 Mar 2000) |
| electronic pacemaker load | The impedance to the output, the standard load being 500 ohms resistance ± 1%. (05 Mar 2000) |
| transthoracic pacemaker | Artificial pacemaker delivering stimuli through the chest wall usually applied as a temporizing measure in patients with atrioventricular block. (05 Mar 2000) |
| external pacemaker | An artificial cardiac pacemaker whose electrodes for delivering rhythmical electrical stimuli to the heart are placed on the chest wall. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fixed-rate pacemaker | An artificial pacemaker that emits electrical stimuli at a constant frequency. (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) |
| 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) |
| cardiac | <cardiology> Pertaining to the heart. Origin: L. Cardiacus from Gr. Kardiakos (16 Dec 1997) |
| 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) |