Diagnostic Test & Procedures
Separation of blood into its component parts using a special machine. Apheresis removes toxic substances or autoantibodies from the blood or harvests blood cells.
What is apheresis?
The transfer of blood, or blood components such as red blood cells, from a donor to a recipient.
What is blood transfusion?
An agent used to prevent the formation of blood clots. Also known as a blood thinner.
What is anticoagulant?
hematocrit (the proportion of the volume of blood that contains RBCs)
What is HCT?
Mass of solid, liquid, or gas that travels through the bloodstream, causing occlusion of obstraction on a blood vessel.
What is embolus?
Passage of a tiny plastic tube into the heart through a blood vessel, usually through the femoral artery in the leg; used to diagnose heart diseases or abnormalities
What is cardiac catherization
An electrical device that is implanted in the chest or abdomen to control abnormal cardiac rhythms through a series of electrical discharges.
What is pacemaker?
Medication that helps reduce excess water in the body.
What is diuretic?
implantable cardioverter defibrillator
What is ICD?
Rare genetic disorder in which the blood does not clot normally due to the absence of a clotting protein in the blood. The result is longer bleeding time during injury or trauma.
What is hemophilia?
A noninvasive diagnostic method that uses ultrasound to visualize internal cardiac structures.
What is echocardiogram/multigated acquisition (MUGA) Scan?
Procedure in which controlled electrical shocks are sent through the heart to restore normal cardiac rhythm in a patient with arrhythmia.
What is cardioversion?
A drug used to dilate arteries and reduce blood pressure, making it easier for the heart to pump blood.
What is calcium channel blocker?
millimeters of mercury (a measure of blood pressure)
What is mmHg?
Tissue death in the heart muscle resulting from an occluded coronary artery; heart attack.
What is myocardial infraction (MI)?
Noninvasive procedure in which a radioactive substance called a tracer is injected into a patient to produce images of the left or right ventricle of the heart. The test measures the volume of blood pumped by the ventricle.
What is nuclear ventriculography?
A shunt (passageway), established surgically, that allows blood to travel from the aorta to a branch of the coronary artery at a point beyond an obstruction.
What is coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
A drug used to treat angina, hypertension, and heart rhythm disorders, as well as migraines, panic attacks, and tremors.
What is beta blocker?
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
What is PTCA?
A blood clot that forms on the wall of a blood vessel and stays attached to the site in which it developed.
What is thrombus?
Procedure in which a radioactive substance is injected into a vein near the end of a stress test to aid in identifying the sizes of the heart chambers, how well the heart is pumping blood, and whether the heart has any damaged or dead tissue.
What is nuclear thallium stress test?
A minimally invasive procedure for opening up blocked coronary arteries, allowing blood to circulate unobstructed to the heart muscle. During PTCA, a tiny balloon is inserted in a blocked artery. The balloon is inflated to widen the artery and is then removed. Often, a wire mesh tube called a stent is permanently placed inside the artery to keep it unobstructed. PTCA is often performed during a cardiac catheterization to aid the cardiologist in making a diagnosis.
What is percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)?
Medication that keeps the body from making angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict. Because ACE inhibitors prevent blood-vessel constriction, they help treat hypertension.
What is angiotensin converting (ACE) inhibitor?
premature ventricular contractions
What is PVCs?
Disease in which narrowing of the arteries results in decreased blood flow to the extremities, causing intermittent calf pain during walking or exercise.
What is peripheral artery disease (PAD)?