IABP

see Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump 

ICD

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator -- see this page 

ICU

Intensive Care Unit, where clinically unstable patients are watched 

IDCM

Idiopathic Dilated CardioMyopathy - cardiomyopathy of unknown cause 

idiopathic

cause unknown 

IGF-1

Insulin-like Growth Factor-1. Regulated by human growth hormone from the pituitary gland, IGH-1 causes growth in the human body 

IHSS

Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis. Now it is called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy or HCM for short. One possible therapy may be dual-chamber pacemakers 

incidence

rate at which new cases of a particular disease occur. Usually new cases diagnosed per year 

induction therapy

immediately before and/or after organ transplant, using heavy-duty doses of powerful immunosuppressive (anti-rejection) drugs to stop early organ rejection 

infusion

usually means giving a drug or solution straight into a vein; intravenously, IV 

INR

International Normalized Ratio - the time it takes blood to clot. Previously called PT time, this measurement is used to check that blood thinner levels in your blood are safe and effective 

inotropic

increasing the heart's beating strength - how hard it squeezes 

intermittent

not continuously, off and on. Referring to IV inotrope therapy, intermittent means taking the drug every X number of days per week or month, but not continuously 

intimal

pertaining to the innermost layer - as in, a blood vessel consists of a layer of endothelial cells backed by layers of other tissue 

intravenous (IV)

giving a drug or solution straight into a vein 

interstitial

located in - but not like - an organ or tissue. For example, could be a connecting tissue or growth between two organs 

Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP)

a balloon placed inside the aorta - the body's main artery. The balloon is rapidly inflated and deflated in time with the heart's pumping, to increase pumping strength. Normal length of IABP support is hours to days. As heart function improves, IABP support is slowly reduced, then removed. May also be used to reduce complications during angioplasty in high-risk patients - see this page 

in vitro

isolated from the organism. An in vitro experiment is done in a test tube in a lab, not on an animal or person 

in vivo

in the living organism. An in vivo experiment is done in an animal, plant or person 

ion

an electrically charged particle. See anion and cation 

ischemia

partial or complete stopping of blood flow (to the heart, in CHF). In CHF, ischemia usually means blocked arteries or long-term too-fast heart rate depriving the heart of blood 

ischemic

tissue or heart damage from not enough blood flow (like what happens when an artery is blocked, or your heart rate is too fast for a long time)  

isotope ventriculogram

MUGA. See this page. 

IU

International Unit. Unit of measuring activity for vitamins 

IVG

Isotope VentriculoGram. Same as MUGA. See this page. 

JVD

Jugular Venous Distension - when you retain fluid, your neck's jugular vein stands up higher 

K

potassium 

kg or kilogram

a metric unit of weight. One kg = 1000 grams = 2.21 pounds American 

Killip class

Class 1 : no signs of heart failure
Class 2 : some fluid in the lungs, third heart sound gallop, and high jugular (neck) vein pressure
Class 3 : obvious fluid in the lungs
Class 4 : cardiogenic shock, systolic blood pressure under 90 mmHg, and signs of vasoconstriction throughout the body such as reduced urine output, and a blue or purple discoloration of the skin from lack of oxygen in the blood 

L (l)

liter or litre, a metric unit of volume. One L = 1.057 quarts = 33.8 ounces = 0.27 gallons American 

LAE

Left Atrial Enlargement - enlargement of the heart's upper left chamber, which fills the left ventricle 

laparoscopy

surgery using a tiny scope/camera inserted into the abdomen through a small incision. Gas is used to inflate the internal abdominal area during this procedure 

LBBB

Left Bundle Branch Block, an electrical disorder of the heart. See this page 

LAD

Left Anterior Descending artery of the heart. Often involved in bypass surgery 

LDL

Low Density Lipoprotein -- "bad cholesterol" 

leukocyte

white blood cell 

leukocytosis

abnormally high white blood cell count 

leukopenia

abnormally low white blood cell count 

lightheaded

feeling like you are going to faint. See dizzy 

LIMA

Left Internal Mammary Artery. Used in some bypass surgeries 

LV

left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber 

LVAD

Left Ventricular Assist Device - see this page 

lymphoma

cancer of the lymph system 

mean

average 

macrophage

cell derived from a white blood cell that protects the body against infection 

mEq

milliEquivalent. mEq measures a substance's ability to combine with another substance. One mEq = 39 mg of potassium or 23 mg of sodium or 20 mg of calcium or 35 mg of chlorine. One mEq equals about 75 mg of potassium chloride - what we often get as a supplement. One mEq is roughly equivalent to one milliosmole (mOsm). 

METs

Metabolic Equivalent Unit. One MET = your oxygen uptake at rest - roughly 3.5 ml oxygen/kg body weight/minute. Doctors may prescribe exercise by MET values for cardiac rehab 

mg

milligram, a metric unit of weight. One mg = 1/1000th gram = 0.000035 ounces American

mg

magnesium 

MIDCAB

Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass - bypass surgery (CABG) that is done without cutting open the entire chest cavity 

MI

Myocardial Infarction - heart attack 

microalbuminuria

too-low rate of albumin passed in the urine (30 to 300 mg per 24-hour period) - usually a symptom of kidney disease 

microemboli

multiple very small particles in the blood (as in air bubbles) 

MICS

Minimally Invasive Coronary Surgery. See this page 

mitochondria

one of a cell's "organs" that exist outside the cell nucleus. There are from one to several hundred mitochondria in each cell. They perform many cell metabolism functions including producing energy through breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and oxygen 

ml

milliliter, a metric unit of volume. One ml = 1/1000th liter = 0.0012 quart = 0.0338 ounce American 

mmHg

millimeters of mercury - a unit of measuring pressure. Also called "torr" See this page 

mmol

millimole, a metric unit of volume. One mmol = 1/1000th of a mole 

mole

one mole is the molecular weight of a substance in grams. For example, the molecular weight of calcium is 40, and one mole of calcium equals 40 grams 

morbidity

resulting from a disease or procedure. Morbidity could be "complications" from a surgery or drug therapy 

morphology

form and structure (of an organism, regarded as a whole) 

mortality

death rate, risk of death (usually from a disease, surgery, or procedure) 

mOsm

milli-Osmole - 1/1000th of an osmole 

mph

mile per hour, as in walking on the treadmill at 3 mph 

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging - see this page 

MRSA

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus - an antibiotic-resistant infection  

ms

millisecond or 1/1000th of one second. QRS interval is measured in ms - see this page 

mug

actually means micrograms, and should be shown as µgm or mcg 

MUGA

Multiple Gated Acquisition or radionuclide ventriculography. A test of heart function using an injection of radioactives and an x-ray machine. See this page 

MVP

Mitral Valve Prolapse - The mitral valve controls blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. When the valve's two leaflets do not completely close, there is backflow, or regurgitation, of blood. See this page 

myocarditis

inflammation of the middle layer of the heart wall (myocardium) 

myocardium

muscular middle layer of the heart wall 

narcolepsy

a condition that includes brief, unexpected attacks of deep sleep 

NASPE

North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology, now called NASPE Heart Rhythm Society - see www.naspe.org 

natriuresis

salt elimination by peeing, lowering blood pressure 

natriuretic

causing salt to be eliminated from the body through urine, lowering blood pressure 

naturopathy

system of treating disease that avoids drugs and surgery. It uses natural agents such as air, water, and sunshine; and physical means such as manipulation (chiropractic) and electrical treatment 

NBG code

A 3 to 5 letter code describing the mode used by a pacemaker. The first position in the code tells the chamber paced, the second the chamber sensed, the third the response to sensing, the fourth programmable functions such as rate modulation and the fifth anti-tachyarrhythmia functions. Each letter also means something: A = atrium, D = dual, I = inhibited, O = neither, R = rate modulation, T = tracking, V = ventricle. For example, a VVIR pacemaker paces in the ventricle, senses in the ventricle, has an inhibited response to sensing and offers rate modulation. 

NE

NorEpinephrine 

necrosis

cell death caused by outside factors, such as heart cells killed in a heart attack by lack of blood flow to them (ischemia) 

nephron

the primary unit of which the kidney is made 

neurohormones

the body's chemical messengers, these hormones stimulate the cells they attach to. Neurohormones are too active in heart failure and cause a great deal of harm 

neuron

An excitable cell that transmits electrical signals over long distances in the body. Neurons both receive and send signals. They connect with each other via synapses. Neurons can be the longest cells known, with a single one several meters (yards) in length 

NIH

National Institutes of Health 

nitric oxide

compound produced from L-arginine by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase. Called NO, it has vasodilator properties. It is also called endothelium derived relaxation factor 

NKA

no known allergies 

NKDA

no known drug allergies 

norepinephrine

also called noradrenaline. A neurohormone, this is the primary chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system. It binds very strongly to adrenergic receptors on cell walls 

NPO

Patient must take "nothing by mouth" - no food or water - for a specified time 

NSAID

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug - Ibuprofen, prednisone, and naprosen are examples. Not usually good for CHFers because they make you retain fluid, among other effects 

NSVT

Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia - an intermittent too-rapid heart beat 

O2

oxygen 

occlusion

blockage, as in blocked arteries 

OD

every day - as in, take this pill once every day 

OKT3

Muromonab-CD3 (called Orthoclone) is a potent drug for fighting organ rejection - see this page 

oliguria

reduced, too-low urine output 

oncotic

the pressure caused by blood pushing against blood vessel walls - can also mean "caused by swelling" 

ophthalmia

inflammation of the eyeball or its mucous membrane 

OR

Operating Room, a "clean room" where surgery is done 

orthostatic

from standing - orthostatic hypotension is low blood pressure when you're standing 

orthopnea

inability to breathe except in an upright position 

osmole

a unit of measure of osmotic pressure, based on a one mole concentration of an ion in a solution 

osmosis

movement of a substance through a cell into a solution with a higher concentration of that substance, thus equalizing the concentration on the two sides of the cell membrane 

OTC

Over The Counter (as in non-prescription drugs) 

oxidation

removal of an electron from a substance, changing the substance losing the electron, for better or worse. Oxidation cause oxidative stress 

oxidative stress

injury caused to a molecule when an oxygen free radical steals an electron from it 

PAC

Pre-Atrial Contraction - heart's atrium chamber beats prematurely 

PAD

Peripheral Arterial Disease - see peripheral vascular disease 

palliative

to reduce the ill effects of disease without curing it. This is "end of life" care to improve quality of life when dying 

palpitation

a heart beat you feel very strongly. Your heart may feel like it is "in your throat" Commonly felt after a PVC 

panic value

abnormal lab test result that requires you to be immediately retested 

PAP

Pulmonary Artery Pressure - see this page 

paracentesis

a surgical puncture of the abdomen to suck out excess fluid 

parenteral

occurring outside the intestine. For example, giving a drug by intravenous or intramuscular injection. The opposite of enteric 

paresis

partial paralysis 

paresthesia

sensation of burning, prickling, tingling, etc,... 

patency

openness, as in how open an artery is, so blood can flow through it normally 

pathophysiology

the changes in function that are caused by a condition or disease 

PC

after eating, as in "take this pill PC" 

PCP

Primary Care Physician - your regular doctor 

PCWP

Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure - see this page. Normal range is 5 to 13 mmHg 

peptide

compound made of two or more amino acids. In heart failure, peptide usually refers to natriuretic peptides like ANP, BNP and CNP 

perfusion

blood flow into the heart muscle. On the other hand, blood flow into a blood vessel, such as blood flow from the heart into the aorta is just called flow or output 

pericardial

having to do with the pericardium, which is the sac or membrane that encloses the heart. It has 2 layers, with pericardial fluid in between the layers 

perioperative

happening between the time you are put in the hospital before surgery to the time you leave the hospital after surgery 

peripheral arterial disease

see peripheral vascular disease 

peripheral vascular disease

blockage inside any arteries in the body except the coronary (heart) arteries. This can have serious implications and must be treated. Symptoms include chronic burning, aching, numbness, and tingling, especially in the arms, hands, legs, and feet 

peritoneum

smooth membrane lining the cavity of the abdomen. It has an outer layer close to the walls of the abdomen and an inner layer that folds over the internal organs 

PH

Pulmonary Hypertension, too-high pressure as measured in the pulmonary artery. See this page 

phenotype

the visible properties of something. Can apply to people, cells, organisms, whatever 

phosphodiesterase inhibitors

drugs that make the heart beat more strongly, usually IV drugs like milrinone or saterinone - see this page 

PLAATO

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Transcatheter Occlusion from Appriva Medical. See this page 

placebo

a non-active substance that looks like a real drug or treatment - used in place of a real drug to keep a patient from knowing whether he is taking a real drug or not 

plaque

the gunk that can build up in your blood vessels, causing coronary artery disease 

plasma

the pale yellow fluid part of human blood made up of water and dissolved substances such as proteins, electrolytes, sugars, lipids, waste products, amino acids, hormones, and vitamins 

plasmapheresis

separating out one part of the blood from whole blood and returning all other parts back to the patient's circulatory system - see this page 

pleural effusion

collection of fluid or blood in the pleural space - the space between tissues and organs in the chest cavity around the lungs 

PMH

Previous Medical History 

PND

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea. A particular type of shortness of breath that can be part of heart failure. It often shows up as spasms of coughing and shortness of breath during the night or whenever lying down. Anxiety also often occurs 

PO

orally (by mouth) - as in take this pill PO means take this pill once a day by mouth 

post-

after - as in, post-MI means after a heart attack 

postural hypotension

lightheadedness when moving suddenly, as in standing up, or bending over and then straightening up. Often caused by ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers 

PPCM

PostPartum or PeriPartum CardioMyopathy. Weakened heart due to the physical stress of pregnancy - develops within the last month of pregnancy or the first 5 months after giving birth. See this page 

preeclampsia

a toxic condition in late pregnancy including sudden rise in blood pressure, excessive weight gain, edema, albuminuria, severe headache, and visual disturbances 

preload

how far heart fibers stretch when the heart is fullest, just before it pumps blood out into the body (vein pressures) 

prevalence

how many people have a disease right now. The percentage of a population affected with a particular disease at a given time 

PRN

as needed - as in take this painkiller only when you need one 

prognosis

the prospect of survival or recovery from a disease - a bad prognosis means you're going to get worse or die; a good prognosis means you may get better or be cured 

proximal

nearest - the opposite of distal 

pruritis

itching 

PSM

Patient Self-Management, often meaning that a person manages their own anti-coagulant (blood thinner) therapy, using a home blood monitoring device to measure INR 

PT or PTT

ProThrombin Time - the time it takes blood to clot. Now called INR, this measurement is used to check that blood thinner levels in your blood are both safe and effective 

PTCA

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty -- "balloon angioplasty" -- see this page 

pulmonary

lung or lungs, or relating to the lungs. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in a lung 

pulmonary atresia

lack of a pulmonary heart valve - the only corrections are surgical 

pulmonary hypertentsion

too-high pressures in the pulmonary artery, affecting right heart function - see this page 

pulse pressure

the difference between your systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements. A very large pulse pressure indicates higher risk for heart problems 

pump failure

slow weakening of the heart over time, causing death when the heart finally just gives out 

PVC

PreVentricular Contraction - heart's ventricles contract too quickly, sometimes called a skipped beat. These are not supposed to be really dangerous but they can drive you nuts. A PVC is usually followed by a pause as your heart resets its electrical system. The next beat is often felt very strongly - a palpitation. 

PVD

Peripheral Vascular Disease 

PVR

Pulmonary Vascular Resistance - the general pressure against which the right heart must pump to push blood through the lungs. See this page 

pyelonephritis

inflammation of part of the kidney and the kidney's pelvic lining 

q

every - as in qd means every day 

qd

every day - as in "take this pill once every day" 

qh

every hour - as in "take this pill once every hour" 

qid

four times per day - as in, "take this pill four times a day" 

qod

every other day - as in, "take this pill once every other day" 

QOL

Quality Of Life 

QRS

part of an EKG tracing -- see this page 

RAD

ant-rejection drug Tacrolimus (ProGraf, FK506) See this page 

rales

an abnormal sound heard in the lungs when listening to the chest through a stethescope. Rales can be sibilant (whistling), dry (crackling) or wet (sloshy) depending on the amount and density of fluid moving in the lung's air passages 

RAP

Right Atrial Pressure 

RAS

Renin Angiotensin System - chemical system in the human body, made up of renin, ACE, and angiotensin II. Renin is an enzyme produced in the kidney. It acts on angiotensinogen (produced by the liver) forming angiotensin I. The converting enzyme contained in the lung (ACE) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is not a good thing in heart failure. More technical info available here 

refractoriness

when a cell quits responding to stimulation (as in, by the nervous system) as a result of too much previous stimulation 

refractory

illness or symptom that does not respond to medicines or treatment; Can also refer to refractory period 

refractory period

the brief period right after the response of a cell to stimulation. Occurs after the cell is stimulated but just before it recovers the capacity to make another response. Basically, this is the resting period that happens once in each cycle of repeated stimulations 

remodeling

as the heart weakens, remodeling occurs: its main pumping chamber - the left ventricle - enlarges and changes shape, getting rounder. The heart also undergoes changes at the cell level, further weakening it. See this page 

renal

kidney, relating to the kidneys. Renal failure is kidney failure 

renin

enzyme in the blood that changes angiotensinogen to angiotensin one. Angiotensin one can be changed to angiotensin II, which is not good for heart failure patients. See this page for more on that 

rep

repetition - in weight lifting each time you do a movement it is called a repetition, while a group of continuous reps is called a set 

restenosis

re-blockage. An artery that has been cleared out by angioplasty or bypass surgery but closes up later has restenosed 

resynchronization

using a pacemaker to make the heart's chambers beat properly as a team -- see this page 

retrograde

going in the "wrong" direction - the direction opposite to the usual direction 

revascularization

restoring normal blood flow. Done for the heart's arteries with bypass surgery, angioplasty, TMLR, DCA or other methods 

RFA

RadioFrequency Ablation - similar to cath, but after the catheter is in place inside the heart, tiny areas of the heart are "killed" by radio-frequency energy to cure arrhythmia. See this page 

RHGH

recombinant human growth hormone, also abbreviated rGH or just GH, since all RHGH for medical treatment in the USA is now a "grown" or "recombinant" form. RHGH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that "activates" insulin-like growth factor one (IGF-1), which causes growth in the human body. See this page 

RLS

Restless Legs Syndrome - condition causing leg twitching, pain, discomfort, crawling or tingling sensations in the lower legs, and also sleeplessness. See this page, this page, and this page 

RN

Registered Nurse, a nurse who after graduating nursing school or typical 4 year college degree, passes the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) examination 

R/O

Rule Out - as in rule out all othe causes 

RyR2

ryanodine-receptor channel - a calcium channel in heart cells that may control the heart's beating by regulating calcium ion release. See this page 

S3

third heart sound. Often heard in children and CHFers. See this page 

SCD

Sudden Cardiac Death. Many CHFers die from SCD caused by arrhythmia 

sclerosis

condition of hardening tissue 

septal

having to do with the septum, which in heart terms is the wall separating the right and left chambers of the heart 

serous

having a thin, watery constitution 

serum

the watery part of the blood, without clotting factors or cells. This is the part of blood that remains liquid after blood stands long enough to clot 

set

in weight lifting, one group of continuous reps 

SHF

Systolic Heart Failure - heart failure caused by lack of heart pumping power. Most CHFers have SHF 

SG

Swan-Ganz - a type of catheter used in right-heart (pulmonary) cath procedures 

skeletal muscle

muscles you can consciously control, such as biceps. Called skeletal because these muscles attach to the skeleton, they are made of fibers that can contract 

sl

sublingual - taken under the tongue instead of swallowed, like a nitro tablet for chest pain (angina) 

SOB

Shortness Of Breath 

SPECT

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography - imaging test very similar to a MUGA. It uses injected radioactive tracers. A "gated" SPECT just means lots of pictures are taken, each view called a gate 

SRL

anti-rejection drug Rapamune (rapamycin, sirolimus) 

SSD

Social Security Disability. See this page 

stat

immediately 

statin

a class of cholesterol lowering drugs including simvastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, and pravastatin 

stenosis

blockage. A stenosed artery is a blocked artery 

stent

A small metal coil, slotted tube, or mesh cylinder placed in a collapsing artery to keep it open. It is a permanent implant. Think of a tiny Slinky made of chicken wire - see mbbnet.umn.edu/icons/stent.jpeg 

stomatitis

imflammatory disease of the mouth 

stroke volume

amount of blood pushed into the aorta with each heart beat. Stroke volume = EDV (end-diastolic volume) minus ESV (end-systolic volume) 

SV

Stroke Volume 

SVR

Systemic Vascular Resistance 

SVT

Supra Ventricular Tachycardia 

sx

symptoms 

synapse

junctions at which a neuron communicates with another cell 

syncope

fainting due to reduced blood flow to the brain 

systole

the part of the heart's pumping cycle when the ventricles contract and push blood out into the body 

systolic (blood pressure)

the first number in your blood pressure reading 

T-cell

white blood cell with special cell surface receptors - highly involved in immune system responses 

T-wave

part of the heart's electrical signal as seen on an EKG. See this page for EKG info and see this page for T-wave alternans 

tachycardia

abnormally fast heart rate 

tachyphylaxis

less response after repeated applications. If you take certain drugs long-term, you must raise the dose after awhile to get the same effect. This is tachyphylaxis 

TDI

Tissue Doppler Imaging - a type of echocardiogram used to see if your heart chambers are beating properly as a team. If not, a BiV pacemaker will probably help. 

TEE

Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram. An echocardiogram in which the transducer is temporarily "swallowed" for better internal pictures 

thrombocytopenia

chronic low level of blood platelets, also called thrombopenia. Can cause bleeding complications 

thromboembolism

blockage of an artery caused by a blood clot moving into an artery too small to carry it. Can cause heart attack or stroke 

thrombolytic

used to break up a thrombus (stationary blood clot) 

thrombus

blood clot that has not broken loose into the blood stream - it is attached to a blood vessel wall or organ wall 

thymus

a gland in the upper chest/lower neck where T cells develop, part of the immune system 

TIA

Transient Ischemic Attack - small, sometimes undiagnosed strokes caused by tiny blood clots 

tid

three times per day - as in, take this pill three times a day 

titrate

raise drug dose over time to desired target dose 

TMR

TransMyocardial Revascularization - see TMLR 

TMLR

TransMyocardial Laser Revascularization - surgery done to relieve angina (chest pain) where a laser burns dozens of tiny holes in your heart to let blood reach more heart tissue 

TNF

Tumor Necrosis Factor. Produced in the heart, this protein can cause or worsen inflammation and heart failure, and can trigger muscle cell death called apoptosis. 

TNTC

Too Numerous To Count 

trigeminy

an arrhythmia where heart beats are grouped in a repeating pattern of threes, usually 2 normal beats followed by one beat where the heart contracts too soon - a PVC or PAC. This is often followed by a pause while your heart resets its electrical system, resulting in a palpitation 

troponin I

set of peptides that along with calcium help regulate the heart's beating. Troponin I is only found in heart muscle and blood levels are high for between 6 hours and a few days after heart muscle damage. High blood level, along with high level of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) suggest that you have had a heart attack 

vascular

having to do with blood vessels (can also mean the vessels lymph fluid moves through) 

vasoconstriction

narrowing of blood vessels. This raises blood pressure and makes the heart work harder 

vasodilation

widening or relaxing of blood vessels. This lowers blood pressure and eases the heart's workload 

vasopressin

a hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland, it raises blood pressure and makes the body retain fluid - also called ADH 

vasopressor

causing the muscular part of blood vessels to contract - see vasoconstrictor 

VEGF

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - substance produced by genes that stimulates growth of new blood vessels 

ventricular fibrillation

fast, uncoordinated, fluttering beats of the heart's ventricles, causing heart beat and pulse beat to go out of synch. This is exremely dangerous 

VF

Ventricular Fibrillation 

viscera

internal organ such as heart, liver, kidney 

visceral

relating to an internal organ such as the heart, liver, kidney 

Vo2max Stress Test

Oxygen consumption exercise test - see this page. Also called CPX (cardiopulmonary stress test), mVo2, and peak Vo2 

volume overload

state where heart is too weak to keep up with the amount of blood coming to it from the lungs - when you are volume-overloaded, you are "in" heart failure 

VRT

Ventricular Resynchronization Therapy, an internal pacemaker used to force the heart's chambers to beat properly as a coordinated team. Also called CRT for Cardiac Resychronization Therapy. See this page 

VT

Ventricular Tachycardia - a too-fast heart rate. Can be "sustained" (long runs, possibly dangerous) or "nonsustained" (intermittent short runs) 

V-tach

Ventricular Tachycardia - a too-fast heart rate. Can be "sustained" (long runs, possibly dangerous) or "nonsustained" (intermittent short runs) 

warm

referring to heart failure patients, warm means blood is flowing in sufficient amounts to your internal organs for those organs to function properly. Opposite of cold 

WD

Well Developed 

wedge pressure

See PCWP 

WPWS

Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome 

xenotransplant

transplanting an animal (non-human) organ into a human, usually from a pig

More terms defined here

All information on this site is opinion only. All concepts, explanations, trials, and studies have been re-written in plain English and may contain errors. I am not a doctor. Use the reference information at the end of each article to search MedLine for more complete and accurate information. All original copyrights apply. No information on this page should be used by any person to affect their medical, legal, educational, social, or psychological treatment in any way. I am not a doctor. This web site and all its pages, graphics, and content copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Jon C.