Category: C

The science of the forces involved in propulsion of blood from the heart to the tissues and back to the heart.  

Relaxation of the muscles of the cardiac sphincter of the stomach.  

A herniation or protrusion of the heart through an opening in the diaphragm or through a wound.  

A gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium. It is a member of the hacek group of bacteria and is part of the normal flora of the oral cavity and upper airway. It is an occasional cause of culture-negative endocarditis.  

The science of the heart and blood vessels.  

Of primary importance, as in the cardinal signs: temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.  

Excision of the gastric cardia.  

The shadow on the chest radiograph created by the heart. A large cardiac silhouette is consistent with cardiac hypertrophy. A narrow silhouette is often seen in patients with emphysema.  

The ability of the heart to make up for impairments in functioning through muscular hypertrophy or other means.  

A measurement of the amount of calcium present on CT scanning of the coronary arteries. It is a radiological marker of coronary artery atherosclerosis. A high score (>400) predicts a high coronary artery atherosclerotic burden. Patients with scores in this range should promptly undergo some form of stress testing. A score between 100 and 399…