Patients & Family

GLOSSARY

Ablate and Pace – Surgical ablation of the atrioventricular node and insertion of a pacemaker

Ablation – A procedure where the cardiac tissue responsible for an irregular rhythm is disabled.

Antiarrhythmics – A group of medications used to suppress the irregular rhythms of the heart.

Anticoagulants – A group of medications used to thin the blood and prevent blood clots.Anticoagulants are also known as blood thinners.

Arrhythmia – An irregular rhythm of the heart, resulting in the heart beating too slowly, too quickly or irregularly.

Atria/atrium – Atria is the plural of atrium. The atria are the two upper chambers of the heart that pump blood into the two lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles. A normal heart includes a right and left atrium.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) – A condition in which unorganised electrical conduction causes the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) to beat so quickly they appear to quiver or fibrillate, resulting in the inefficient pumping of blood to the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). Symptoms can include tiredness, shortness of breath, palpitations, lightheadedness, weakness and rapid pulse.

Atrioventricular (AV) node – A mass of tissue between the atria and ventricles of the heart, which conducts the electrical impulses from the atria to the ventricles.

Bradycardia – a type of arrhythmia in which the heart beat is too slow (usually less than 60 beats per minute).

Cardiologist – a doctor who specialises in diagnosis and treatment of heart disorders and diseases

Cardioversion – The procedure of converting a heart with an abnormal rhythm to a normal one. Cardioversion may be achieved with medications and by administering an electrical shock to the heart through a defibrillator.

Cardiovascular disease - Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Catheter ablation – A procedure in which a physician uses catheters – thin, flexible tubes with electrodes – to locate the origin of an arrhythmia and ablate or destroy abnormal tissue in the heart.

Catheters – Thin, flexible, plastic tubes used in minimally invasive procedures to gain access to a position in the body through a vein or artery.

Circulatory system – a system consisting of the heart, blood vessels, and blood that circulates blood throughout the body, delivers nutrients and other essential materials to cells, and removes waste products. Also called cardiovascular system.

Chambers (heart) – Cavities within the heart that receive and pump blood. There are two atria and two ventricles.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) – A condition in which fat and cholesterol builds up in the coronary artery, causing the narrowing of the artery, resulting in inadequate blood flow. Individuals with Coronary Artery Disease may develop AFib.

Cox-Maze procedure – A type of surgical ablation where a physician makes a series of incisions inside the right and left atria and sutures the incisions back together. The sutured incisions create scar tissue that stops abnormal electrical activity from passing through the heart.

Curative therapies – Therapies designed to eliminate the cause of the condition and that have the potential to cure it.

Diabetes – a chronic condition in which the pancreas no longer produces enough insulin.

Defibrillator – An instrument used to deliver a high-voltage electrical current to the heart, to restore a normal rhythm.

Diagnostic catheters – Thin, flexible, plastic tubes with wires and electrodes used to gain access to the heart, study an arrhythmia and locate its origin.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) –A diagnostic test that examines the electrical activity of the heart. Electrical activity is recorded by placing electrodes on the patient’s chest and arms, after which a machine makes a record of the data. An electrocardiogram can be known as ECG or EKG.

Electrophysiologist – A type of cardiologist who specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the electrical system of the heart

Electrophysiology (EP) study – A study performed by an electrophysiologist that examines the electrical activity of the heart.

Electrophysiology lab – specialised centre where catheter ablation and other specialised cardiac procedures are conducted.

Electrical system (heart) – The system of electrical impulses and nodes that work together to cause the heart beat. The sinus node is part of the electrical system.

Heart Failure – A disease characterised by the heart’s inability to pump blood efficiently to the body. As a result, fluid can accumulate in the lungs or extremities of the body.

Holter monitor – A small, portable device used to record the heart’s electrical activity for longer periods of time, such as 24 to 48 hours. Electrodes are placed on the chest and the patient carries the monitor in a small pouch around the neck or waist.

Hypertension – A condition in which blood pressure is consistently above the normal range. Individuals with hypertension have a great risk of developing AF.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator - a device that monitors heart rhythms, and delivers shocks if dangerous rhythms are detected

Lone AF – This term refers to individuals with AFib who have no symptoms of underlying heart disease.

Normal sinus rhythm - the normal beating of the heart

Off-pump – Procedures where the patient is not placed on a heart-lung bypass machine.

On-pump – Procedures where the patient is placed on a heart-lung bypass machine.

Open-heart surgery – Invasive procedures that require a large incision be made over the chest and the chest is ‘opened’ to gain access to the heart.

Pacemaker – An electronic device surgically implanted in the chest designed to regulate the heartbeat.

Paroxysmal AF – A type of AF that often comes on suddenly and ends spontaneously. The irregular heart rhythm may last for a few seconds, minutes, hours or longer before the heart returns to a normal rhythm on its own.

Pericarditis - a condition in which the tissue that surrounds the heart (pericardium) becomes inflamed.

Permanent AF – A type of irregular heart rhythm characterized by the inability to restore sinus rhythm. Also called chronic AF.

Persistent AF – A type of AF that persists until treated.

Pulmonary disease – A condition affecting the lungs and/or respiratory tract.

Rate control drugs – A class of medications designed to regulate the speed at which a heart beats.

Recurrent AFib – two or more episodes of AFib in the same patient

Rhythm (heart) – the term for the pattern and frequency of the way the heart beats

Rhythm control drugs – A class of medications designed to regulate the rhythm of the heart beat

Sedative - An agent or a drug having a soothing, calming, or tranquilising effect.

Sinus node (sinoatrial node) – a specialized bundle of cells located in the right atrium of the heart, responsible for initiating and controlling the heartbeat.

Sinus rhythm – The normal rhythm of the heart.

Stroke - The sudden death of brain cells in a localised area due to inadequate blood flow.

Structural heart defects - abnormalities in the heart’s structure

Suppressive therapies – Therapies that work to control or suppress symptoms of a condition.

Surgical ablation - A procedure in which a surgeon ablates or destroys abnormal tissue of the heart to stop an arrhythmia. Surgical ablation procedures typically consist of traditional methods, in which incisions are made in cardiac tissue, or use an energy source to ablate the tissue.

Tachycardia – An arrhythmia that causes the heart to beat too rapidly. Tachycardias can produce palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or near fainting. Rapid heartbeats may be either regular or irregular in rhythm.

Thyroid Disease – A condition in which thyroid hormones are elevated due to an overactive thyroid gland. Thyroid disease can increase the risk of AF.

Tilt-table test – A test performed by a physician to reproduce the symptoms an AF patient experiences, while monitoring blood pressure, heart rate and heart rhythm.

Valves (heart) – flaps within the heart that allow the blood to flow one way while preventing it from flowing back in the wrong direction.

Ventricles – The two lower chambers of the heart responsible for pumping blood. The ventricles consist of the right and left ventricle; the left ventricle pumps blood to the body and the right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs.

Ventricular fibrillation - Very rapid, uncoordinated, ineffective series of contractions throughout the lower chambers of the heart.

Ventricular tachycardia - rapid heart beat that originates in one of the lower chambers of the heart. To be classified as tachycardia, the heart rate is usually at least 100 beats per minute.