ABSTRACT
Terminology of the cardiovascular system has become increasingly more important for pharmacists in recent years. Thirty years ago, the public often thought of hypertension—if at all— only by the name "high blood pressure," and hypertension frequently went undiagnosed and untreated. Laymen frequently refer to the cardiovascular system as the "circulatory" system because its primary function is to circulate blood throughout the body, providing nutrients, oxygen, and numerous immune components to tissues. Specific abnormalities in the electrocardiography tracing may assist in diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and numerous other disorders. Noninvasive visualization of cardiac structures can be performed using pulse-reflected ultrasound to produce an echocardiogram, line tracings that indicate sound reflection by structures within the heart. Pharmacists frequently encounter variety of other terms in relation to the cardiovascular system besides diseases and anatomy. Some relate to patient treatment areas of the hospital such as the intensive care unit and coronary care unit, while others deal with surgical procedures.
