PHS: Cardiac Diseases and Disorders

Current Events/Vocabulary Essay

Anemia: usually defined as a decrease in the amount of red blood cells or

hemoglobin in the blood
Sickle Cell Anemia: a hereditary blood disorder, characterized by an abnormality in
the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin molecule in red blood cells
Echocardiogram: sonogram of the heart
Electrocardiogram: test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your
heart
Cardiac Catheterization: insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart
Angioplasty: endovascular procedure to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or
veins, typically to treat arterial atherosclerosis
Coronary Bypass:
Embolus: blockage or plug that obstructs a blood vessel (ex: detached blood clots,
clumps of bacteria, and clumps of other foreign material, such as air)
Thrombophlebitis: inflammation of the wall of a vein with associated thrombosis
(often occurring in the legs during pregnancy)
Leukemia: group of cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high
numbers of abnormal white blood cells