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From the Summer 2004 Issue

You Asked. We Answered.

Making Sense of Cardiac Abbreviations

Every specialized area of study has them — those mysterious abbreviations. They make it easy for experts to talk to each other, but make it hard for lay people to understand. Some of you have told LifeBeat Online that the medical abbreviations you hear at the doctor's office sometimes leave you scratching your head in confusion.

For instance, you might overhear the following comments about heart patients:

• The doctor ordered an ECG and echo to learn more about the MI.
• The patient has advanced CAD and is scheduled for CABG and EVH.
• A patient with CHF and an EF under 30 is at risk for SCD.

Keep reading and you'll soon be able to understand some of this special medical shorthand. As always, talk to your doctor or nurse whenever you have questions.

Heart Conditions

CAD = coronary artery disease

What it is: Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs as the arteries that supply oxygen to the heart muscle become narrowed. This narrowing is caused by the buildup of plaque. Plaque can be caused by fatty deposits like cholesterol. CAD usually develops over many years, and there are few symptoms. Left untreated, CAD can lead to a heart attack.

Also known as: Coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease, hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis

What it looks like: Atherosclerosis

PVD = peripheral vascular disease

What it is: Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) occurs when arteries outside the heart — for example, in the legs and kidneys — become narrowed with plaque. Plaque can be caused by fatty deposits like cholesterol. Pain or cramping in the feet, legs, or arms can be a sign of PVD. The pain signals that the tissues in those parts of the body aren't getting enough oxygen from the blood.

HF = heart failure

What it is: Heart failure (HF) might sound as though the heart is about to suddenly stop, or "fail." But it actually refers to heart muscle that gradually weakens. As a result, the heart doesn't pump blood as efficiently to the body as a healthy heart. HF is a serious condition that may get worse over time.

What it looks like: Healthy to heart failure heart (video)

CHF = congestive heart failure

What it is: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a specific kind of heart failure. CHF causes fluid to collect in various tissues. For example, fluid collecting in the lungs makes it hard to breathe and sleep at night. Fluid that collects in the legs and feet can cause swelling.

MI = myocardial infarction

What it is: A myocardial infarction (MI) — also known as a heart attack — is the injury of a section of heart muscle due to lack of oxygen. The cause of an MI is typically a blockage in an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle. Plaque (fatty deposits like cholesterol) can build up inside the artery. If the plaque ruptures, it can attract platelets and blood cells that form a blood clot. The clot can block the artery completely, causing a heart attack.

Also known as: Heart attack, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary

What it looks like: Heart attack (video)

AF = atrial fibrillation

What it is: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an extremely rapid heartbeat (usually more than 300 beats per minute). This fast heartbeat occurs in the heart's two upper chambers, the atria. During AF the upper chambers of the heart are beating so fast that they can't contract at all. They just quiver. Because the blood isn't pumping completely into the ventricles (the lower chambers), it can pool and form clots. These blood clots can lead to a stroke. In rare instances, AF can also lead to fibrillation in the ventricles (VF).

What it looks like: Fibrillation

VT = ventricular tachycardia

What it is: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a rapid heartbeat in the heart's two lower chambers, or ventricles. In a healthy person, the heart beats about 60-80 times per minute. But if VT develops, the heart beats much faster, perhaps 200 times per minute. During VT the heart can't pump blood very well. The person may feel dizzy or lightheaded, or even pass out. VT is life threatening. It can also lead to a faster and more dangerous rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF).

VF = ventricular fibrillation

What it is: Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is an extremely rapid heartbeat (usually more than 200 beats per minute) in the heart's two lower chambers, the ventricles. During VF the heart is beating so fast that the ventricles can't contract at all. They just quiver. The blood isn't being pumped to the heart, body, or brain. VF is a medical emergency because it can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD). Unless VF is stopped with an electrical shock from a defibrillator, brain damage and death can occur within minutes.

SCD = sudden cardiac death

What it is: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) refers to the sudden and complete stopping of the heartbeat. The blood isn't being pumped to the heart, body, or brain. SCD is often caused by rapid heart rhythms in the ventricles, usually ventricular fibrillation (VF). Unless VF is stopped with an electrical shock from a defibrillator, brain damage and death can occur within minutes.

Also known as: Cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), sudden death

What it looks like: Sudden cardiac death

Procedures and Tests

ABI = ankle brachial index

What it is: The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a simple test that helps your doctor determine if you might have peripheral vascular disease (PVD). PVD is caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries outside the heart. The doctor measures blood pressure in both the ankle and the arm and compares the two readings. By comparing these numbers, the doctor can determine if there may be plaque buildup in the arteries outside the heart.

CABG = coronary artery bypass grafting

What it is: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a type of open-heart surgery. CABG is pronounced "cabbage." CABG is a treatment for narrowed or blocked arteries that feed the heart muscle. The surgeon takes a small section of healthy blood vessel, usually from the leg. The healthy blood vessel is connected or "grafted" to areas above and below the blockage. The blocked artery is "bypassed" and blood flows freely through the new "detoured" blood vessel.

Also known as: Bypass surgery, heart bypass surgery

What it looks like: coronary artery bypass graft

PTCA = percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

What it is: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a procedure for treating narrowed coronary arteries. Coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. Plaque can build up in these blood vessels and cause them to narrow. The doctor inserts a thin flexible tube (catheter) into an artery in the groin area. When the catheter reaches the blockage in the coronary artery, a tiny balloon is inflated. The balloon presses the plaque against the artery wall. Blood can then flow freely through the artery.

Also known as: Angioplasty

What it looks like: Angioplasty

ECG (or EKG) = electrocardiogram

What it is: An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a test that senses the heart's electrical activity. Up to 12 electrodes are placed on the patient's chest, arms, and legs. The electrodes sense the heart's electrical activity, which is printed on a strip of paper. The doctor uses the ECG to see if the heart's conduction system is working properly. An ECG can also help determine if a heart attack has occurred and if heart medication is effective. And it can identify problems with the electrical signals that control the heartbeat.

What it looks like: ECG waves

EF = ejection fraction

What it is: The ejection fraction (EF) is a measure of how well the heart is pumping. The heart's left ventricle (lower left chamber) needs to contract forcefully, since it pumps blood to the entire body. A healthy heart pumps out more than half the heart's volume of blood with each beat. A typical EF is approximately 50%-75%. For people with some types of heart disease, the EF can be much lower. This test helps a doctor care for heart patients, especially those who have heart failure or who have had a heart attack.

Echo = echocardiography

What it is: Echocardiography — an "echo" — helps identify problems in the heart. An echo is similar to the ultrasound test done on pregnant women. The echo emits sound waves at a frequency we can't hear. The waves are passed over the chest and through the tissues of the heart. The waves reflect or "echo" off of the heart, revealing the shape and size of the heart, how well the valves are working, how well the chambers are contracting, and the ejection fraction (EF). The image of the heart that is produced during echocardiography is called an echocardiogram. Sometimes you will hear both the test and the image referred to as an "echo."

Also known as: Cardiac ultrasound

EP test = electrophysiology test

What it is: An electrophysiology test (EP test) records the heart's electrical signals as they travel through the heart. The test shows if the signals are following the proper pathways. The movement of these signals is what causes the heart to contract, causing the heart to beat. During the EP test, several thin tubes (catheters) are inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin area. The doctor gently pushes the catheters through the vessel all the way into the heart to perform the test. The EP test can help the doctor:

• Determine if the heart's electrical signal pathway is working properly.
• Choose the best treatment if there is a problem with a pathway.

MRI = magnetic resonance imaging

What it is: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that shows cross-sections — either still or moving pictures — of various parts of the body. The MRI machine emits radio waves. As these waves bounce off your body tissues, strong magnets sense the waves, and a computer creates detailed images. An MRI can create images of the heart as it is beating, and throughout its pumping cycle. (If you have an implanted heart device, check with your doctor before having an MRI.)

CT scan = computerized (or computed) tomography scan

What it is: A computerized (or computed) tomography (CT) scan is a sophisticated type of x-ray. A traditional x-ray shows two-dimensional images of the heart — its length and width. But CT uses an x-ray machine that moves around the patient's body and takes multiple images of the heart. These images are viewed together on a video monitor, offering a three-dimensional view — length, width, and depth. Because of the three-dimensional image, a CT scan can offer a much better picture of the entire heart than a traditional two-dimensional x-ray can.

Also known as: CAT scan

Test Your Knowledge

Now that you've learned some new terms, see if you can decipher the three sentences with abbreviations at the beginning of the article!

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