Английский для кардиологической сестринской помощи: ключевые термины

"sinus rhythm"

A normal heart rhythm originating from the sinoatrial node, with a regular rate typically between 60 and 100 beats per minute

"The ECG confirmed normal sinus rhythm at 72 beats per minute with no ectopic activity noted."

"ST elevation"

An abnormal rise of the ST segment on an ECG above the baseline, often indicating myocardial injury or acute myocardial infarction

"The nurse recognised ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVF and immediately activated the catheterisation laboratory team."

"QRS complex"

The portion of the ECG waveform representing ventricular depolarisation, the electrical activation that triggers the main pumping contraction of the heart

"A wide QRS complex measuring more than 120 milliseconds suggests a bundle branch block or ventricular origin of the rhythm."

"continuous cardiac monitoring"

The uninterrupted observation of a patient's heart rhythm using bedside or telemetry equipment to detect arrhythmias in real time

"All patients admitted to the cardiac step-down unit are placed on continuous cardiac monitoring for the first 48 hours post-procedure."

"telemetry"

Remote, wireless monitoring of a patient's cardiac rhythm transmitted from a portable device to a central nursing station

"The patient was transferred from the ICU to a telemetry unit so staff could continue monitoring for recurrent arrhythmias."

"PR interval"

The time on an ECG from the beginning of the P wave to the beginning of the QRS complex, representing conduction through the AV node

"A prolonged PR interval greater than 200 milliseconds is the defining feature of first-degree atrioventricular block."

"ectopic beat"

A heartbeat arising from an abnormal site outside the sinoatrial node, appearing earlier or later than expected in the cardiac cycle

"The patient reported occasional palpitations; the monitor confirmed isolated ectopic beats of ventricular origin throughout the shift."

"rhythm strip"

A continuous paper or digital recording of the ECG, usually from a single lead, used to analyse heart rate and rhythm over time

"The night nurse printed a rhythm strip when the monitor alarmed and identified runs of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia."

"atrial fibrillation"

An irregular and often rapid heart rhythm caused by chaotic electrical signals in the atria, the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia

"The patient developed atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response following cardiac surgery and was started on intravenous amiodarone."

"ventricular tachycardia"

A fast, potentially life-threatening arrhythmia originating in the ventricles, usually defined as three or more consecutive ventricular beats at a rate above 100 per minute

"The nurse immediately called the cardiac arrest team when the patient became unresponsive and the monitor showed sustained ventricular tachycardia at 180 beats per minute."

"ventricular fibrillation"

A chaotic, life-threatening rhythm in which the ventricles quiver rather than contract effectively, causing cardiac arrest and requiring immediate defibrillation

"Ventricular fibrillation was identified on the monitor and the team delivered a 200-joule biphasic shock within 90 seconds of onset."

"heart block"

A delay or interruption in the electrical conduction between the atria and ventricles, classified by degree from first to third depending on severity

"The patient developed complete heart block with a ventricular escape rate of 35 beats per minute and was prepared for emergency temporary pacing."

"supraventricular tachycardia"

A group of arrhythmias originating above the bundle of His, characterised by a sudden-onset rapid heart rate that typically appears as a narrow QRS complex on ECG

"The patient presented with palpitations and a heart rate of 180; vagal manoeuvres failed and adenosine was administered intravenously to terminate the supraventricular tachycardia."

"bradycardia"

An abnormally slow heart rate, generally defined as fewer than 60 beats per minute, which may cause symptoms of poor cardiac output including dizziness and syncope

"Post-operative bradycardia was attributed to high-dose beta-blocker therapy and responded to a dose of intravenous atropine."

"cardioversion"

The delivery of a synchronised electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal sinus rhythm from an abnormal but organised arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation

"After informed consent was obtained and the patient was sedated, synchronised cardioversion at 100 joules successfully restored sinus rhythm."

"defibrillation"

The delivery of an unsynchronised high-energy electrical shock to terminate chaotic rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation and restore an organised heartbeat

"The AED prompted defibrillation, and after two shocks and ongoing CPR, the patient regained a perfusing rhythm in the emergency department."

"myocardial infarction"

The death of heart muscle tissue due to a prolonged interruption of blood supply, commonly called a heart attack; classified as STEMI or NSTEMI based on ECG findings

"Troponin levels drawn six hours after symptom onset confirmed an acute myocardial infarction, and the patient was transferred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention."

"troponin"

A cardiac biomarker protein released into the bloodstream when heart muscle is damaged, used as the primary blood test to diagnose myocardial infarction

"Serial troponin measurements at zero and three hours were both elevated, consistent with acute myocardial injury."

"chest pain assessment"

A structured clinical evaluation of chest discomfort using tools such as SOCRATES or OPQRST to determine the nature, severity, and likely cause of pain

"The triage nurse began a chest pain assessment and determined the pain was central, crushing, and radiating to the left arm, prompting immediate ECG acquisition."

"unstable angina"

Chest pain due to reduced coronary blood flow that occurs at rest or with minimal exertion, representing a medical emergency and part of the acute coronary syndrome spectrum

"The patient's history of rest pain with no troponin rise supported a diagnosis of unstable angina, and antiplatelet therapy was commenced."

"percutaneous coronary intervention"

A non-surgical procedure in which a balloon catheter and coronary stent are used to open a blocked or narrowed coronary artery and restore blood flow

"Door-to-balloon time was 52 minutes as the patient was taken directly to the catheterisation laboratory for percutaneous coronary intervention."

"thrombolysis"

The administration of clot-dissolving medication to break up a coronary thrombus when primary angioplasty is not available within the required time window

"Because the patient presented to a district hospital more than two hours from the nearest cardiac centre, thrombolysis with alteplase was initiated."

"dual antiplatelet therapy"

The combined use of two antiplatelet drugs, typically aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor such as clopidogrel or ticagrelor, to prevent stent thrombosis following coronary intervention

"The cardiologist prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy for twelve months following drug-eluting stent placement and instructed the nurse to counsel the patient on bleeding precautions."

"cardiac enzyme"

A general term for proteins such as troponin and CK-MB released from damaged heart cells into the circulation, used to diagnose and monitor myocardial injury

"Rising cardiac enzymes over the serial blood draw confirmed progression of myocardial damage, and the patient was urgently reviewed by the on-call cardiologist."

"ejection fraction"

The percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each contraction, a key measure of cardiac pump function; normal is 55% or above

"The echocardiogram revealed a severely reduced ejection fraction of 25%, explaining the patient's profound fatigue and exertional dyspnoea."

"pulmonary oedema"

The accumulation of excess fluid in the air sacs of the lungs, causing severe breathlessness and typically resulting from left-sided heart failure

"The patient arrived in acute pulmonary oedema with an oxygen saturation of 82% and was placed on continuous positive airway pressure therapy immediately."

"fluid overload"

An excess of fluid in the body due to impaired cardiac output or renal function, manifesting as peripheral oedema, ascites, and pulmonary congestion

"The nurse documented a weight gain of 3 kg over 48 hours and alerted the team to the signs of fluid overload, prompting intravenous diuretic therapy."

"diuresis"

The increased production and excretion of urine, therapeutically induced in heart failure using diuretic medications to remove excess fluid from the body

"Adequate diuresis was confirmed when urine output exceeded 80 mL per hour following a bolus of furosemide 80 mg intravenously."

"BNP level"

Brain natriuretic peptide, a hormone released by the ventricles in response to increased wall stress; elevated levels confirm heart failure and guide treatment decisions

"A BNP level of 1,400 pg/mL on admission supported acute decompensated heart failure and helped prioritise the patient for early specialist review."

"preload"

The degree of stretch in the ventricular muscle before contraction, determined by venous return and end-diastolic volume; elevated preload causes congestion in heart failure

"Nitrate therapy was commenced to reduce preload by venodilation, relieving the patient's pulmonary congestion while the oral diuretic dose was optimised."

"afterload"

The resistance the left ventricle must overcome to eject blood into the aorta; high afterload increases cardiac workload and worsens function in a failing heart

"ACE inhibitor therapy was up-titrated to reduce afterload and improve forward cardiac output in the patient with dilated cardiomyopathy."

"dyspnoea on exertion"

Breathlessness that occurs with physical activity rather than at rest, a hallmark symptom of heart failure that is graded using the New York Heart Association classification

"The patient reported dyspnoea on exertion when climbing one flight of stairs, consistent with NYHA class II heart failure symptoms."

"permanent pacemaker"

A surgically implanted device consisting of a pulse generator and one or more leads that delivers electrical impulses to maintain an adequate heart rate

"Following failed medical management of symptomatic second-degree heart block, the patient was consented for insertion of a permanent pacemaker under local anaesthesia."

"temporary pacing"

Short-term electrical pacing of the heart using an external generator connected to a transvenous or transcutaneous lead, used in emergency or peri-operative settings

"Temporary pacing was initiated via a right femoral introducer after the patient's heart rate fell to 28 beats per minute with haemodynamic compromise."

"ICD"

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator; a device that continuously monitors heart rhythm and delivers a shock if a life-threatening arrhythmia such as ventricular fibrillation is detected

"The patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a prior cardiac arrest was referred for ICD implantation for secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death."

"cardiac resynchronisation therapy"

A specialised form of pacing using a biventricular device to coordinate the contraction of the left and right ventricles simultaneously, improving output in selected heart failure patients

"Cardiac resynchronisation therapy significantly improved the patient's ejection fraction from 25% to 38% and reduced hospitalisation for decompensated heart failure."

"pacing threshold"

The minimum electrical energy required to reliably stimulate a cardiac contraction via an implanted or temporary pacing electrode

"The technician programmed the pacemaker output to twice the pacing threshold to ensure a reliable safety margin for consistent capture."

"failure to capture"

A pacemaker malfunction in which a pacing stimulus is delivered but does not produce a corresponding cardiac contraction, seen as a pacing spike without a QRS complex on ECG

"The nurse noticed pacing spikes on the monitor unaccompanied by QRS complexes and reported failure to capture to the physician immediately."

"pacemaker syndrome"

A collection of symptoms including fatigue, dizziness, and pulsations in the neck caused by loss of AV synchrony in patients paced in the ventricle without atrial tracking

"The patient reported severe fatigue and neck pulsations after single-chamber pacemaker insertion; pacemaker syndrome was diagnosed and the device was upgraded to a dual-chamber system."

"device interrogation"

The process of wirelessly downloading and reviewing stored data from a pacemaker or ICD to assess sensing, pacing, and any recorded arrhythmia events

"The cardiac physiologist performed device interrogation and found the ICD had delivered two appropriate shocks for ventricular fibrillation during the previous month."

"coronary artery bypass grafting"

A surgical procedure in which a blood vessel harvested from elsewhere in the body is used to bypass a blocked coronary artery and restore myocardial blood flow

"The patient underwent three-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting using the left internal mammary artery and two saphenous vein grafts."

"sternotomy"

A surgical incision through the sternum (breastbone) providing access to the heart and great vessels, the standard approach for most open cardiac surgery

"Post-operative sternotomy care included wound inspection for signs of infection and patient education on sternal precautions for eight weeks."

"cardiopulmonary bypass"

The temporary diversion of the heart and lung functions to a heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery, allowing the surgical team to operate on a still, bloodless heart

"The surgeon requested the perfusionist to initiate cardiopulmonary bypass as the cardiac team prepared to arrest and open the heart."

"mediastinal drain"

A chest tube placed in the mediastinal space after cardiac surgery to drain blood and fluid and prevent cardiac tamponade

"Mediastinal drain output exceeded 200 mL in the first hour post-operatively, prompting the ICU team to prepare for a return to theatre."

"cardiac rehabilitation"

A structured programme of exercise, education, and psychological support designed to help cardiac patients recover after a heart attack or cardiac surgery and reduce future risk

"The patient was enrolled in a twelve-week cardiac rehabilitation programme and reported improved exercise tolerance and reduced anxiety after completing the course."

"sternal precautions"

Activity restrictions following sternotomy that limit lifting, pushing, and pulling to allow the sternum to heal and prevent dehiscence or instability

"The physiotherapist reinforced sternal precautions, advising the patient to avoid lifting objects heavier than 1 kg for six weeks after discharge."

"intra-aortic balloon pump"

A mechanical circulatory support device inserted into the descending aorta that inflates during diastole and deflates during systole to reduce cardiac workload and improve coronary perfusion

"An intra-aortic balloon pump was inserted in the catheterisation laboratory to stabilise the patient in cardiogenic shock before emergency bypass surgery."

"vasoactive medication"

Drugs that alter the tone of blood vessel walls or cardiac contractility, including vasopressors, vasodilators, and inotropes, used to manage haemodynamics in critically ill cardiac patients

"The patient required continuous infusion of noradrenaline and dobutamine as vasoactive medication to maintain adequate mean arterial pressure and cardiac output."