| 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) |
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| cardiac competence | Ability of the ventricles to pump the blood returning to the atria, so that atrial pressure does not rise abnormally. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac complexes, premature | Premature contractions of the heart that are independent of the normal rhythm and arise in response to an impulse in some part of the heart other than the sinoatrial node. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cardiac contractility | A measure of cardiac pump performance, the degree to which muscle fibres can shorten when activated by a stimulus independent of preload and afterload. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac cycle | The complete round of cardiac systole and diastole with the intervals between, or commencing with, any event in the heart's action to the moment when that same event is repeated. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac decompression | Incision into the pericardium or aspiration of fluid from pericardium to relieve pressure due to blood or other fluid in the pericardial sac. Synonym: pericardial decompression. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac depressor reflex | A fall in blood pressure due to peripheral vasodilation and cardiac inhibition by stimulations of terminations of a cardiac depressor nerve in the aortic arch and base of the heart. Synonym: aortic reflex, depressor reflex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac diuretic | A diuretic which acts by increasing function of the heart, and thereby improves renal perfusion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac dropsy | Oedema due to heart failure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac dyspnea | Shortness of breath of cardiac origin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac dysrhythmia | Any abnormality in the rate, regularity, or sequence of cardiac activation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac enlargement | A compensatory enlargement in the heart that is often secondary to underlying disease (heart valve disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes). (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac enzyme | <biochemistry> A group of enzymes found normally in heart tissue. Cardiac enzymes are released into the blood stream in increased concentration when the heart muscle becomes damaged. Examples include SGOT, CPK-MB and LDH. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac failure | A condition where there is ineffective pumping of the heart leading to an accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Typical symptoms include shortness of breath with exertion, difficulty breathing when lying flat and leg or ankle swelling. Causes include chronic hypertension, cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac fibrous skeleton | A complex framework of dense collagen forming four fibrous rings (annuli fibrosi), which surround the ostia of the valves, a right and left fibrous trigone, formed by connecting the rings, and the membranous portions of the interatrial and interventricular septa; it is found in association with the base of the ventricles, i.e., at the level of the coronary sulcus; its functions include: 1) contributing reinforcement of the valvular ostia while providing attachment for the leaflets and cusps of the valves; 2) providing origin and insertion for the myocardium; and 3) serving as a sort of electrical "insulator," separating the electrically conducted impulses of the atria and ventricles and providing passage for the common atrioventricular bundle of conductive tissue through the right fibrous trigone and membranous interventricular septum. Synonym: cardiac fibrous skeleton, cardiac skeleton, skeleton of heart. (05 Mar 2000) |