Dictionary

pulse, water-hammer See Corrigan pulse.

pulse The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart. Pulse is often measured by feeling the arteries of the wrist or neck.

pulmonology The study and science of the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the lungs.

pulmonary vein One of four vessels that carry aerated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. The pulmonary veins are the only veins that carry bright-red oxygenated blood.

pulmonary valve One of the four valves in the heart, which stands at the opening from the right ventricle in the pulmonary artery trunk. The pulmonary valve moves blood toward the lungs and keeps it from sloshing back from the pulmonary artery into the heart.

pulmonary insufficiency A condition in which the valve between the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary artery is incompetent in its performance, allowing blood to slosh back from the pulmonary artery into the right ventricle.

pulmonary function test A test that is designed to measure how well the lungs are working. Abbreviated PFT. PFTs gauge how the lungs are expanding and contracting (when a person inhales and exhales) and measure the efficiency of the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and the air within the lungs.

pulmonary fibrosis Scarring throughout the lungs that can be caused by many conditions, such as sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asbestosis, and certain medications. Pulmonary fibrosis can also occur without an identifiable cause, in which case it is referred to as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, and diminished exercise tolerance. Treatment involves use…

pulmonary embolus A blood clot or foreign material that has been carried through the blood into the pulmonary artery or one of its branches, plugging the vessel.

pulmonary embolism Sudden closure of a pulmonary artery or one of its branches, caused by a blood-borne clot or foreign material that plugs the vessel.

pulmonary edema Fluid in the lungs.

pulmonary artery One of the two vessels which are formed as terminal branches of the pulmonary trunk and convey un-aerated blood to the lungs. The two pulmonary arteries differ in length and anatomy. The right pulmonary artery is the longer of the two. It passes transversely across the midline in the upper chest and passes…