Diagnostic Tests & Procedures
auscultation
what is the Process of listening to the internal sounds of the body using a stethoscope
blood transfusion
The transfer of blood, or blood components such as red blood cells, from a donor to a recipient
antianginal
Medication used to prevent or alleviate angina
AV
atrioventricular
anemia
Disorder involving a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin
Blood pressure
what is the pressure exerted by the blood on the wall of a artery or vein.
bone marrow transplant
The replacement of diseased bone-marrow cells in a patient with healthy bone-marrow cells from a donor
diuretic
Medication that helps reduce excess water in the body.
BP
blood pressure
aplastic anemia
Disorder in which the bone marrow does not produce enough new red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets.
cardiac catheterization
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
cardioversion
Procedure in which controlled electrical shocks are sent through the heart to restore normal cardiac rhythm in a patient with arrhythmia.
antiarrhythmic
An agent used to alleviate or prevent cardiac arrhythmia.
bpm
beats per minute
hemolytic anemia
Disorder marked by excessive destruction of RBCs.
Holter monitor
A machine that continuously records cardiac rhythms, often worn for 24–48 hours to assist with diagnosing an arrhythmia condition.
defibrillation
Procedure used to stop atrial or ventricular fibrillation (an irregular and usually rapid heartbeat) by means of drugs or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) surgically placed in the chest or abdomen
calcium channel blocker
A drug used to dilate (widen) arteries and reduce blood pressure, making it easier for the heart to pump blood.
CABG
coronary artery bypass graft
sickle-cell anemia
Genetic disease in which the body manufactures red blood cells that are shaped like a sickle, or crescent, rather than the normal disk shape. Sickle-shaped RBCs disrupt blood flow in the blood vessels
apheresis
Separation of blood into its component parts using a special machine. Apheresis removes toxic substances or autoantibodies from the blood or harvests (collects) blood cells.
pacemaker
An electrical device that is implanted in the chest or abdomen to control abnormal cardiac rhythms through a series of electrical discharges
antihypertensive
Medication used to counteract high blood pressure.
HCT, Hct
hematocrit (the proportion of the volume of blood that contains RBCs)
aneurysm
Localized, balloon-like dilation of a blood vessel, usually an artery