Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

carcinoma, transitional cell
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cardiac tamponade
See 
tamponade, cardiac.
cardiac ventricle
See 
ventricle, heart.
cardiologist
A physician who specializes in treat-
ing heart disorders.
cardiology
The study and treatment of heart dis-
orders.
cardiomyopathy
Disease of the heart muscle
(myocardium).
cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic
A heart defect
characterized by increased thickness (hypertrophy)
of the wall of the left ventricle, the largest of the four
chambers of the heart.
cardioplegia
Paralysis of the heart, as may be
done electively in stopping the heart during cardiac
surgery. Cardioplegia may be done using chemicals,
cold (cryocardioplegia), or electrical stimulation.
cardiopulmonary
Having to do with both the
heart and lungs.
cardiopulmonary bypass
Bypass of the heart
and lungs (for example, during open-heart sur-
gery). Blood returning to the heart is diverted
through a heart-lung machine (a pump-oxygenator)
before it is returned to the arterial circulation. The
machine does the work of both the heart and the
lungs, by pumping blood as well as supplying oxy-
gen to red blood cells.
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
A life-saving
emergency procedure that involves breathing for the
victim and applying external chest compression to
make the heart pump. Abbreviated CPR. In the early
stages of a heart attack, death can often be avoided
if a bystander starts CPR within 5 minutes of the
onset of ventricular fibrillation. When paramedics
arrive, medications and/or electrical shock (car-
dioversion) to the heart can be administered to con-
vert ventricular fibrillation to a normal heart
rhythm. Prompt CPR and rapid paramedic response
can improve the chances of survival from a heart
attack.
cardiovascular
Relating to the circulatory sys-
tem, which comprises the heart and blood vessels
and carries nutrients and oxygen to the tissues of
the body and removes carbon dioxide and other
wastes from them. Cardiovascular diseases are con-
ditions that affect the heart and blood vessels and
include arteriosclerosis, coronary artery disease,
heart valve disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, hyper-
tension, orthostatic hypotension, shock, endocardi-
tis, diseases of the aorta and its branches, disorders
of the peripheral vascular system, and congenital
heart disease.