Dictionary

arteritis, temporal See arteritis, cranial.

arteritis, giant cell See arteritis, cranial.

arteritis, cranial A serious disease characterized by inflammation of the walls of arteries, particularly those that supply blood to the head. Symptoms include headache, pain in the jaw when repetitively chewing, and tenderness of the scalp, usually over the inflamed arteries of the sides of the head (temporal area). Less specific symptoms include fatigue, low-grade…

arteriosclerosis Hardening and thickening of the walls of the arteries. Arteriosclerosis leads to heart attacks and strokes, as well as to peripheral vascular disease. Arteriosclerosis can be categorized as atherosclerosis, medial calcification, hypertensive, or arteriolar sclerosis. See also atherosclerosis; heart attack; stroke; peripheral vascular disease.

arteriole A small branch of an artery that leads to a capillary. The oxygenated hemoglobin (oxyhemoglobin) makes the blood in arterioles (and arteries) look bright red.

arteriogram An X-ray in which an injection of dye shows blood vessels.

arterial tension See arterial pressure.

arterial blood gas See ABG.

arterial anastomosis A joining of two arteries. See also anastomosis.

arrhythmia, ventricular An abnormally rapid heart rhythm that originates in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). Ventricular arrhythmias include ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Both are life-threatening arrhythmias, and they are most commonly associated with heart attacks or scarring of the heart muscle from previous heart attacks.

arrhythmia, atrial An abnormal heart rhythm due to electrical disturbances in the upper chambers of the heart (atria) or the atrioventricular (AV) node “relay station,” leading to fast heart beats. Examples of atrial arrhythmias include atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia.

arrhythmia An abnormal heart rhythm. With an arrhythmia, the heartbeats may be irregular or too slow (bradycardia), too rapid (tachycardia), or too early. When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal, it is called a premature contraction. See also bradycardia; tachycardia.