Glossary

Also pacemaker

Surgery that only treats the symptoms and not the cause of a disease

Beating of the heart experienced as unpleasant

Conical muscular projection attached to the inner ventricular wall. Its tendinous cords are attached to the AV valves and ensure proper valve closure during systole

Supraventricular tachycardia occurring in attacks of rapid onset and cessation

Hole in the lower part of the atrial septum close to the ventricular valves. Additional abnormal openings in the anteriomedial mitral valve leaflet

Usually made of plastic or pericardial tissue, e.g. for closing atrial or ventricular septal defects

Is present when the ductus does not close after birth. It must be closed either with medication, or surgical ligation, or an occluder.

Also known as persistent ductus arteriosus, vessel between aorta and pulmonary artery

A type of gastrostomy feeding tube

Balloon dilation, e.g for aortic or pulmonary stenosis

The passage of fluid over or through the body or individual organs (e.g. lungs)

Infusion pump for delivering drugs or nutrients to a patient via an infusion (drip) after surgery

Collection of fluid in the pericardium (see also pericardial tamponade)

Life-threatening collection of fluid in the pericardium caused, e.g by inflammation or damage resulting from an infarct. The heart is compressed, the cardiac chambers cannot fill properly and less blood can be pumped through the body.

Collection of blood in the pericardium following endocardial ruptur.  Result: increased pressure, interferes with cardiac activity

Inflammation of the pericradium

Cardiac sac; skin that encloses the heart

Relating to the period around birth (between 28th week of gestation to 7th day of life)

Bluish discolouration of the skin or mucous membrane (cyanosis) caused by oxygen extraction in the periphery (away from the heart), e.g. in cardiac insufficiency with reduced cardiac output; also associated with cold temperatures 

Vessel between aorta and pulmonary artery

Patent (open) foramen oval in the atrial septum

Graphic representation of heart sounds or murmurs; recording of the cardiac tones and ancillary tones with a microphone and heart sound amplifier (usually in connection with an ECG) 

Science of normal functions of the living organism, especially the physical functions of the organism

An organ, rooted to the lining of the womb, which links the baby's blood supply to the mother’s

Double membrane, costal pleura. Membrane, pulmonary pleura that lines the walls of the thoracic cavity. Membrane that invests the lungs

Accumulation of fluid between the costal and pulmonary pleurae

Collection of air or gas in the pleural space, part or all of the lung collapses

Form of glycogen storage disease. Heart disease: cardiomyopathy

After birth

Accumulation of fluid in the pericardium following surgery with opening of the pericardium. The patient usually has fever and feels exhausted 

Condition of late pregnancy whereby the pregnant woman develops high blood pressure and releases too much protein into the urine

Genetic examination at the eight-cell stage of a cell taken from an embryo that has been generated in vitro. When no genetic abnormality is present, the embryo is implanted into the uterus

Premature and atypical electrical activation of the ventricle by additional conductive pathways between the atria and main chamber

Premature activation of parts of the cardiac muscle by accessory conductive pathways, sometimes accompanied by paroxysmal tachycardia (WPW syndrome, LGL syndrome)

Load-bearing component of the heart. Preload is the pressure stretching the ventricle of the heart. It can be less (e.g. with heavy loss of blood) or more, because the heart has to pump larger amounts of blood owing to a septal defect or a shunt. In cases of cardiac insufficiency a reduction of the preload can cause cardiac pressure to go down.

Medication given prior to an anaesthetic or a major procedure (cardiac catheter), which makes the patient sleepy and indifferent (sedation)

Diagnostic examination of the fetal heart using ultrasound waves, for early diagnosis of cardiac abnormalities

Examination before birth

The difference in blood pressure on each side of a stenosis (trans-stenotic) or valve (transvalvular)

Protrusion of tissue or organs

Electrocardiogram made over a 24-hour period and then evaluated. Method for diagnosing and monitoring cardiac arrhythmias

Biochemical substances that behave like hormones

Replacement for a missing or no longer functional organ or part of the body

Protein/medicament used to neutralise the anticoagulant effects of heparin

Drooping upper eyelid

Pulmonary artery, lung artery

Relating to the lungs

Artery to the lungs

Cyanotic cardiac defect: a condition in which the connection between the ventricle and the pulmonary artery is missing. An extreme form of tetralogy of Fallot is present if there is a septal defect that is ‘overridden’ by the aorta

The right ventricle pumps blood through the pulmonary valve and via the pulmonary artery at low pressure into the lungs where it absorbs oxygen. It returns via the pulmonary veins to the left heart.

Blockage of the pulmonary artery (or one of its branches) by blood clots

Hardly ever primary i.e. congenital, usually secondary i.e. resulting from a congenital cardiac defect, can develop in cardiac defects with shunts, e.g. a large hole in the VSD. Increased pressure in the left ventricle causes blood to be pumped from it into the right ventricle, which must also increase pumping capacity. The pulmonary vessels react by contracting the vascular smooth muscle, thereby increasing blood flow resistance. If the condition persists over a longer period of time the muscles become thicker, are transformed into connective tissue and the vascular walls become rigid (fixed pulmonal hypertension, Eisenmenger reaction)

E.g. occurs with major septal defects; the high pressure present in the left ventricle affects the right ventricle (pressure equalisation) and then the lung (pulmonary hypertension, Eisenmenger syndrome)

The collection of fluid in the lungs, e.g. due to cardiac insufficiency

Blood flow to the lungs; there are heart defects with over-, under-, and normal perfusion

Consists of three semilunar cusps, found at the transition from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery, prevents blood returning to the ventricle

Defective closure of the pulmonary valve; some of the blood being pumped to the lungs flows back into the right ventricle

Pulmonary stenosis

Retention of blood from the left side of the heart in the lung. Caused by cardiac insufficiency; can result in pulmonary oedema in extreme cases

The resistance of the pulmonary vessels against which the right ventricle has to pump blood into the pulmonary circulation

Four veins through which oxygenated blood is transported from the lungs to the left artium

Generally corresponds to the heartrate, can be measured at the wrist (arteria radialis), neck (arteria carotis) or the foot (arteria dorsalis pedis). Exception: e.g. atrial fibrillation - not all heartbeats can be felt with the finger

A device to measure oxygen saturation of the blood via the skin (non-invasive). Usually a light electrode on the patient’s finger

The act of piercing with a hypodermic needle to take blood or inject substances. Also used to insert a cardiac catheter

Last branches of the conductive system in the ventricles. The electrical impulse is transmitted from here to the fibres of the cardiac muscle