Definitions

Absent Pulmonary Valve Syndrome

The pulmonary valve is not formed properly, there is a hole between the ventricles and the pulmonary arteries are much wider than they should be.

Analgesic

A medicine given to stop pain.

Angiogram

An x-ray of the heart assisted by a liquid introduced through a catheter.

Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage

The pulmonary veins carry red blood from the lungs to the right side of the heart instead of the left side.

Anticoagulant

A medicine such as Warfarin given to stop blood clots forming.

Aorta

Main artery which carries blood from the heart to the body.

Aortic Stenosis

A narrowing which restricts red blood from moving from the left ventricle into the aorta.

Aortic valve

The valve between the left ventricle and the aorta.

Arrhythmia

Out of rhythm – the heart is beating too fast, too slowly, or irregularly.

Arterial Switch

Reattaching the aorta and the pulmonary artery the right way around when a baby is born with transposition of the great arteries (TGA).

Artery

Vessel which carries oxygenated blood from the heart to all parts of the body.

Atresia

Blocked or missing.

Atrium

An upper chamber of the heart where blood collects before passing to the ventricle.

AVSD

Atrial Ventricular Septal Defect – holes in the septum between the atria and between the ventricles with often a common valve between all four chambers. The most common heart defect in babies with Down’s Syndrome.

Balloon septostomy

A tube (catheter) is put into the heart and a balloon inflated on the end of it to make a hole, or increase the size of a hole, in the wall (septum) of the heart.

Banding

Narrowing of the pulmonary artery with a band to reduce blood flow to the lungs.

Blue Blood

Blood which is returning from the body to the heart and so pumped to the lungs, where it will pick up oxygen and become red blood.

Bradycardia

Slow heart beat.

BT shunt

Taking blood from an arm artery to the lungs.

Cardiac

Relating to the heart.

Cardiologist

Doctor specialising in the heart.

Cardiomyopathy

Weakness of the heart muscle.

Catheter

A narrow tube inserted into a vein or artery and fed to the heart, where it is used to assist in finer diagnosis or repair.

Chest drains

Tubes often left in after heart surgery to drain away fluid.

Coarctation of the Aorta

Narrowing in the aorta – the artery taking blood from the heart to the body.

Congenital

Existing at birth.

CPAP

Constant Positive Airway Pressure – this is a way of keeping small airways open, often used before a patient is taken off complete ventilation.

Cyanosed

When there is not enough oxygen in the blood, causing the skin to look blue in some children.

Dextra Cardia

The heart is on the right, rather than the left side of the chest.

Digoxin

A drug given to increase the strength, or slow down the rate, of the contraction of the heart.

Dilated cardiomyopathy

A condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and weak, sometimes because of a virus.

Diuretics

Drugs which assist the kidneys to produce and excrete more urine.

Doppler

A test using sound waves to measure the speed and direction of blood flow in the heart.

Drain

A tube to remove fluid from the body.

Double Inlet Ventricle

In this group of conditions there is a large ventricle into which both atria empty their blood through either one or two valves. There is usually a second smaller ventricle at the side of the main ventricle.

ECG

Short for electrocardiogram – for measuring the electrical activity of the heart.

Echo

Short for echocardiogram – an image of the heart created by using high frequency sound waves.

ECMO

A by-pass machine which can be used to support the heart so that it can be rested after surgery, or during a viral illness for example

Endocarditis

An infection of the lining of the heart.

HeartFailure

Inability of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation. It does not mean that the heart has ceased to function, but that it is operating seriously below what is required.

Heart murmur

A murmur is a sound made by blood moving round the heart: sometimes but not always this could be caused by a heart defect.

Homograft

Putting in human tissue – such as a valve or artery.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

The heart muscle becomes so thick that it can interfere with its proper function.

Hypoplastic Right Ventricle

The right ventricle has not developed properly so it is small.

ICU (or ITU)

Intensive Care Unit – provides a high level of specialist care immediately after surgery.

Mitral Valve Stenosis

The Mitral Valve in the heart opens to let oxygenated blood to pass into the left ventricle, and then closes as it is pumped into the aorta and so around the body. Stenosis means that it is narrow, and therefore not allowing enough blood through and causing a backflow to the lungs.

Open Heart Surgery

Operations performed on the inside of the opened heart.

Pacemaker

A small battery placed under the skin and joined to the heart by pacing wires, which measure the pulse and corrects too fast or too slow rhythms.

PDA

Patent or persistent ductus arteriosus – a passage used for circulation before the baby is born remains open, instead of closing shortly after birth. This causes red blood to return from the aorta back to the lungs.

PICU

Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Pericardial effusion

Fluid collects in the pericardial sac – the outer covering of the heart – which can be drawn off using a needle, or drained using diuretics.

Pulmonary Artery

The large artery which conveys deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

Pulmonary atresia

Blood cannot be pumped to the lungs from the right ventricle through the pulmonary artery, which is blocked or missing.

Pulmonary hypertension

High pressure of blood moving into the lungs.

Pulmonary stenosis

A narrowing between the right ventricle and the lung artery.

Red blood

Blood which has picked up oxygen from the lungs and travel through the left side of the heart to be pumped around the body.

SADS

Sudden Adult/Arrhythmia Death Syndrome.

Sats

Short for saturation levels (of oxygen in the blood).

Septostomy

Making a hole in the septum, the wall, between the left and right chambers of the heart.

Shunt

A natural or artificially created passageway between two parts of the heart.

Stenosis

A narrowing of a vessel.

Stent

A short, metal mesh tube. Using balloon dilation this is expanded into a narrow artery to hold it open.

Sternum

the breastbone.

Tachycardia

An abnormally rapid heart rate.

Tetralogy of Fallot

Ventricular Septal Defect (hole between the two ventricles) and Pulmonary Stenosis – a narrowing between the right ventricle and the artery carrying blood to the lungs.

TCPC

Total Cavo Pulmonary Connection – a surgical procedure which bypasses the right atrium and pulmonary valve.

Trachea

The Windpipe.

Tracheostomy

A hole cut into the windpipe to help breathing.

Transposition of the great Arteries

the big arteries, which should be taking blue blood from the lungs, and the red blood from the heart to the body, are round the wrong way. This means that deoxygenated blood goes back to the body, and oxygenated blood from the lungs is directed back into the lungs.

Tricuspid atresia

The tricuspid valve is absent.

Tricuspid valve

the valve between the right atrium and right ventricle which has three cusps.

Valve

A structure which opens and closes and when open allows blood flow in one direction and when closed prevents back flow or leakage.

Vein

A vessel carrying blood back to the heart.

Ventricle

The lower chambers of the heart which act as the pump for the blood’s circulation.

Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)

Hole in the septum between the two ventricles (pumping chambers) which allows blood to flow between the two sides of the heart.