May your heart find its way through the maze of terminology. Use this dictionary to help guide you!
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| STEMI | ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Complete blockage of a major artery, causing a spike in the ST segment in an ECG. |
| Pericardiocentesis | Pericardial tap. Using echo guidance, excess pericardial fluid is removed from the pericardial sac. When the pressure of the fluid exceeds the pressure in the heart, the pressure within the heart is reduced and less blood is able to be pumped out. |
| NC | Non-compliant, referring to the balloon type. Non-compliant balloons are used post-stenting to adhere the stent to the vessel wall. May also be used pre-stenting depending on plaque characteristics. |
| IVL | Intravascular lithotripsy. Same as shockwave. |
| LAD | Left anterior descending artery. Supplies the anterior portion of the left ventricle and anterior ventricular septum! |
| NSTEMI | Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Partial blockage of a major artery. |
| IVUS | Intravascular Ultrasound.. A special catheter with US on the end is placed at the site of stenosis. Used to characterist lesions, quantify plaque and guide stent sizing/length. |
| PLV | Posterior Left Ventricular artery. Supplies the posterolateral wall of the left ventricle. |
| GTN | Glyceryl Trinitrate. Vasodilator, used to distinguish true vessel narrowing due to disease from a temporary vasospasm. If the artery widens after GTN administration, it suggests the narrowing was likely due to spasm, not a permanent lesion. |
| PDA | Posterior Descending Artery. Supplies the inferior wall of the left ventricle and interventricular septum. |
| Ramus | Artery that comes off the left main. If it branches off from the LCx, it is named an OM instead. |
| Pullback | A technique used to assess the blood pressure in the left ventricle. Usually done at the end of a LHC. |
| PPM | Pacemaker. A device that regulates the heartbeat with 2 components - pulse generator and leads. Inserted via the subclavian vein, with the leads situated in either the RV and/or RA. Uses electrical impulses to correct irregular heartbeats. |
| Adenosine | Always used prior to FFR, putting the heart under stress/mimicking exercise. Also used in IMR to identify microvasospasms. |
| Beta Blocker | Decrease blood pressure. The negative chronotropic and inotropic effects lead to a decreased oxygen demand. |
| Verapamil | Always used prior to radial access - reduces vasospasms. |
| Heparin | Anticoagulant, reduces chance of thrombosis/blood clot during procedure whilst inserting equipment into arteries. |
| Aramine | Vasopressor used to increase blood pressure when a patient experiences hypotension (low blood pressure). This effect is crucial in maintaining adequate perfusion, especially in patients whose blood pressure may drop during or after sedative administration. |
| Midazolam | Sedative and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety medication) commonly used to help patients feel relaxed and comfortable during procedures. |
| OCT | Optical Coherence Tomography. Captures intra-luminal imaging - contrast is injected to fill the vessel, while pulling back the catheter and obtaining the image (the contrast replaces the blood to get an accurate representation of the interior of the vessel). Performed pre-stenting to obtain information on morphology or occlusion, length and diameter of stent. Performed post-stenting to check apposition (adherence to vessel wall) and positioning of stent |
| CTO | Chronic Total Occlusion. The vessel has been totally occluded and will be difficult to stent. May require use of rotabaltion, and typically 2 access points (femoral and arterial) are used to wire the artery from both sides! |
| FFR | Fractional Flow Reserve. Measure severity of stenosis, pressure of artery and aids in stent decision making. |
| Peak Skin Dose | Highest dose to the imaged area. Relevant to deterministic effects/tissue retention, taking into account the back scatter and overlapping projections. |
| Air Kerma | Kinetic energy released per unit mass. Quantifies the energy transferred from the X-rays to the air particles |
| DAP | Dose area product. Area multiplied by air kerma. Relevant to stochastic effects. |
| Shockwave | Procedure using sonic pressure waves to break up calcium before ballooning and stenting. |