The word "catadicrotic" is not commonly used, but it refers to a medical condition where the pulse has a sudden drop in amplitude. The spelling of this word is quite complicated and challenging for non-experts. Its IPA phonetic transcription is /ˌkætədaɪˈkrɒtɪk/. This means the first syllable is pronounced as "kat", the second syllable has a vowel sound similar to "uh", the third syllable is pronounced as "da", the fourth syllable as "y", and the last two syllables as "krotik." Overall, it is a complex word with a precise medical meaning.
Noting a pulse-tracing in which there are two minor elevations or notches interrupting the descending line.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "catadicrotic" stems from the field of medicine, specifically from the study of the pulse and blood pressure. It is composed of two Greek roots: "kata" and "dicrotic".
- "Kata" (κατά) means "down" or "against" in Greek.
- "Dicrotic" comes from "dicrotism" (δικροτισμός) in Greek, which refers to a particular characteristic of the pulse.
In medical terms, "dicrotism" describes the condition where there is a double beat or two distinct beats within one pulse. This term typically refers to the arterial pulse and is related to the closure of the aortic valve in the heart.
Therefore, "catadicrotic" can be understood as something related to a downward or against the dicrotic pulse.