Cardiovascular System | Cardiology

Cardiovascular SystemCardiovascular System
Cardiologist
Copyright ©2011 All rights reserved.Florida State College of Jacksonville | Professor: Michael L. Whitchurch, MHS
Medical Terminology for Health Professionals
Professor: Michael L. Whitchurch, MHS

Learning Objectives
1. Identify the structures of the cardiovascular system.
2. Describe the process of circulation.
3. Describe common cardiovascular diseases and conditions,
laboratory and diagnostic procedures, medical and surgical
procedures, and drug categories.
4. Give the medical meaning of word parts related to the
cardiovascular system.
5. Build cardiovascular words from word parts and divide and define
cardiovascular words.
6. Spell and pronounce cardiovascular words.
7. Analyze the medical content and meaning of a cardiology report.

Cardiology
• The medical specialty that studies the anatomy and
physiology of the cardiovascular system and uses
diagnostic tests, medical and surgical procedures, and
drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular system
Pulmonary system

The Cardiovascular System
• A continuous, circular body
system that includes the heart
and the vascular structures
(blood vessels such as
arteries, capillaries, and veins)
• Moves blood throughout the
body and transports oxygen,
carbon dioxide, nutrients, and
wastes in the blood

Anatomy of the Cardiovascular System
• Heart
– A muscular organ that
contracts at least once
every second to pump
blood through the body
– Has an extensive
electrical system that
initiates and
coordinates its
contractions

Figure 5-2 Surface of the heart

• Heart Chambers
– The heart contains four
chambers, two on the top and
two on the bottom.
– Each small upper chamber is
an atrium.
– Each large lower chamber is
a ventricle.
– The septum, a center wall,
divides the heart into right and
left halves.
– The inferior tip of the heart is
the apex.

Figure 5-3 Chambers and valves of the heart

Figure 5-4 Aortic valve

• Heart Muscle
– Mycardium — composed of cardiac muscle
– Responds to electrical impulses generated by a node within the
heart itself
– Contracts in a coordinated way to pump blood
– Thickest on the left side of the heart

Table 5-1 Layers and Membranes of the Heart

Figure 5-5 Layers and membranes of the heart

• Thoracic Cavity
– Contains the lungs and the
mediastinum, an irregularly
shaped central area between
the lungs

• Mediastinum
– Contains the heart and
parts of the great vessels
(aorta, superior vena cava,
inferior vena cava,
pulmonary artery, and
veins), as well as the
thymus, trachea, and the
esophagus

Figure 5-6 Mediastinum

• Blood Vessels
– Vascular channels
through which blood
circulates in the body
– Have a central opening or
lumen through which the
blood flows
– Lined with endothelium, a
smooth inner layer that
promotes the flow of
blood

• There are three kinds of
blood vessels in the body,
each performing a different
function:
– Arteries
– Capillaries
– Veins

• Arteries
– Large blood vessels
– Smaller branches of an artery
are arterioles

• All arteries share some important
characteristics and functions:
– They carry blood away from the
heart to the body.
 Exception: pulmonary arteries
– They carry bright red blood that
has a high level of oxygen.
– Most arteries lie deep beneath
the skin.
– All arteries have smooth muscle
in their walls.

Figure 5-7 Vasoconstriction and vasodilation

• Capillaries
– Smallest blood vessels in the body
– The lumen of a capillary is so small that blood cells must pass
through in single file.

• Veins
– Capillaries combine to form
small veins known as
venules, which then combine
to form the largest veins.

• All veins share some important
– They carry blood from the body
back to the heart.
– They carry dark red-purple
blood with a low level of oxygen.

• All veins share some important
– The largest veins have valves
that keep the blood flowing in
one direction―toward the
heart.
– Many veins are near the
surface of the body and can be
seen just under the skin as
bluish, sometimes bulging lines.

• Aorta
– Largest artery in the body
– Receives blood from the
left ventricle of the heart

Figure 5-9 Arteries and veins around the heart

Figure 5-10 Arteries in the body

• Arteries
– Coronary artery
– Carotid artery
– Subclavian artery
– Axillary artery (armpit)
– Brachial artery (upper arm)
– Radial artery (thumb side of the lower arm)
– Ulnar artery (little finger side of the lower arm)

• Thoracic Aorta and Arterial
Branches
– The thoracic aorta travels inferiorly
through the thoracic cavity.
– It branches into arteries that bring
blood to the esophagus, muscles
between the ribs, diaphragm, upper
spinal cord, and the back.

• Abdominal Aorta and Arterial Branches
– Brings oxygenated blood to the stomach,
liver, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, small and
large intestines, adrenal glands, kidneys,
ovaries, testes, and the lower spinal cord
– Abdominal aorta ends where right and left
iliac arteries begin

• Abdominal Aorta and Arterial Branches
– Iliac artery
– Femoral artery (upper leg)
– Popliteal artery (near the knee joint)
– Tibial artery (front and back of the lower leg)
– Peroneal artery (little toe side of the lower leg)

• Pulmonary Arteries
– Originate from the pulmonary trunk, which comes from the right
ventricle of the heart, not from the aorta

• Two major veins of the body
– Superior vena cava
– Inferior vena cava
• Other major veins
– Jugular vein
– Portal vein
– Saphenous and femoral veins

• Circulation
– The cardiovascular system or circulatory system circulates blood
through the blood vessels.
– Systemic circulation includes the arteries, capillaries, and veins
everywhere in the body, except in the lungs.
– Pulmonary circulation includes the arteries, capillaries, and veins
going to, within, and coming from the lungs.

Figure 5-11 Circulation of the blood

Physiology of a Heartbeat
• Heart contracts and relaxes in a regular rhythm
coordinated by the conduction system
– Sinoatrial node (SA node), or pacemaker of the heart, initiates
the electrical impulse that begins each heartbeat

• Heart contracts and relaxes in a regular rhythm
coordinated by the conduction system
– Atrioventricular node (AV node) receives the impulse to
contract from the SA node
– Purkinje fibers, a network of nerves, cause both ventricles to
contract simultaneously

Figure 5-12 Conduction system of the heart

• Two Heartbeat Phases
– Systole (contraction)
– Diastole (resting period)

Diseases and Conditions
• Myocardium
– Acute coronary syndrome
– Angina pectoris
– Cardiomegaly
– Cardiomyopathy
– Congestive heart failure (CHF)
– Myocardial infarction (MI)

Figure 5-14 Peripheral edema
Antonia Reeve/Photo Researchers, Inc.l

• Heart Valves and Layers of the Heart
– Endocarditis
– Mitral valve prolapse (MVP)
– Murmur
– Pericarditis
– Rheumatic heart disease
Vegetation on the mitral valve
Abrahas/Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc

Figure 5-15 Vegetation on the mitral valve
Abrahas/Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc.

• Conduction System
– Arrhythmia
 Bradycardia
 Fibrillation
 Flutter
 Heart block
(Arrhythmias on an EKG tracing)

Figure 5-16 Arrhythmias on an EKG tracing

• Conduction System
– Arrhythmia
 Premature contraction
 Sick sinus syndrome
 Tachycardia
– Asystole
– Palpitation

• Blood Vessels
– Aneurysm
– Arteriosclerosis
– Bruit
– Coronary artery disease (CAD)
– Hyperlipidemia
– Hypertension (HTN)
– Hypotension
– Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

Figure 5-27 An aneurysm
(b) Michael English, M.D./Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc.

Aneurysm Video
Click on the screenshot to view a video on the topic of aneurysms.
Back to Directory

Figure 5-18 Mild atheromatous plaque
SIU BioMed/Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc.

Figure 5-19 Severe atherosclerotic plaque in an artery
C. Abrahams, M.D./Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc.

• Blood Vessels (con’t)
– Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
– Phlebitis
– Raynaud’s disease
– Varicose veins

Laboratory and Diagnostic Procedures
• Blood Tests
– Cardiac enzymes
– C-reactive protein (CRP)
– Homocysteine
– Lipid profile
– Troponin

• Diagnostic Heart Procedures
– Cardiac catheterization
– Cardiac exercise stress test
– Electrocardiography (ECG, EKG)
– Electrophysiologic study (EPS)

Figure 5-21 Treadmill exercise stress test
Fotopic/Miles Simons/Phototake NYC

Figure 5-22 Electrocardiography
Jupiter Images – PictureArts Corporation/Brand X Pictures-Royalty Free

Figure 5-23 An EKG tracing

• Diagnostic Heart Procedures
– Holter monitor
– Pharmacologic stress test
– Telemetry

• Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Procedures
– Angiography
– Echocardiography
Echocardiogram
Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc

Figure 5-25 Doppler ultrasonography
Matt Meadows/Science Photo Library/Photo Researchers, Inc.

• Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Procedures Multiple-
gated acquisition (MUGA) scan
– Myocardial perfusion scan
– Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan
Three consecutive multi-detector row CT images of
an acute transmural infarct in short-axis orientation

Medical and Surgical Procedures
• Medical Procedures
– Auscultation
– Cardioversion
– Sclerotherapy
– Vital signs
Defibrillation
Pearson Education/PH College

Figure 5-27 Pulse points

Figure 5-28 Carotid pulse
Michal Heron/Pearson Education/PH College

Figure 5-29 Measuring the blood pressure

• Surgical Procedures
– Aneurysmectomy
– Cardiopulmonary bypass
– Carotid endarterectomy
F. Schussler/PhotoDisc/Getty Images

– Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
– Heart transplantation
– Pacemaker insertion
Pacemaker
(left) English/Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc. (right)
Alvis Upitis/Jupiter Images-PictureArts Corporation/Brand X Pictures-Royalty Free

– Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
– Pericardiocentesis
– Radiofrequency catheter ablation
– Valve replacement
– Valvoplasty

Figure 5-32 Balloon angioplasty

Figure 5-33 Stent

Figure 5-34 Valve replacement surgery
Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc.

Drug Categories
• These categories of drugs are used to treat
cardiovascular diseases and conditions:
– Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor drugs
– Antiarrhythmic drugs
– Anticoagulant drugs
– Antihypertensive drugs
– Aspirin

Drug Categories
– Beta-blocker drugs
– Calcium channel blocker drugs
– Digitalis drugs
– Diuretic drugs

Drug Categories
– Drugs for cardiac arrest
– Drugs for hyperlipidemia
– Nitrate drugs
– Thrombolytic drugs

Abbreviations

Cardiovascular System | Cardiology

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