COUNTERPULSATION Meaning and
Definition
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Counterpulsation is a medical technique used to improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure or other types of severe cardiovascular conditions. It involves the mechanical manipulation of blood flow within the circulatory system to enhance overall cardiac performance.
During counterpulsation, a device called an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is inserted into the aorta, which is the major artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The IABP consists of a thin, flexible tube with an inflatable balloon attached at its tip. The balloon is timed to deflate during systole, which is the phase when the heart is contracting, and inflate during diastole, when the heart is relaxing. This inflation and deflation of the balloon occur in synchronization with the patient's cardiac cycle.
By inflating the balloon during diastole, counterpulsation increases diastolic pressure in the aorta, which helps to improve coronary perfusion, or blood flow to the heart's own blood vessels. This enhanced coronary perfusion ensures a greater oxygen supply to the heart muscle, ultimately improving its overall function. Additionally, the deflation of the balloon during systole reduces the pressure against which the heart must pump, easing the workload on the heart and enhancing its efficiency.
Overall, counterpulsation aims to optimize cardiac output by augmenting coronary perfusion and relieving workload on the heart's pumping function. This technique has proven to be valuable in managing acute conditions such as acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, as well as in supporting patients before and after cardiac surgeries.
Common Misspellings for COUNTERPULSATION
- xounterpulsation
- vounterpulsation
- founterpulsation
- dounterpulsation
- ciunterpulsation
- ckunterpulsation
- clunterpulsation
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- c0unterpulsation
- c9unterpulsation
- coynterpulsation
- cohnterpulsation
- cojnterpulsation
- cointerpulsation
- co8nterpulsation
- co7nterpulsation
- coubterpulsation
- coumterpulsation
- coujterpulsation
- couhterpulsation
Etymology of COUNTERPULSATION
The word "counterpulsation" is derived from two separate roots: "counter-" and "pulsation".
1. "Counter-" is a prefix in English that generally means against, opposite, or in response to something. It comes from the Latin word "contra", which has the same meaning.
2. "Pulsation" comes from the Latin word "pulsus", which means a beating or throbbing. It is derived from the verb "pulsare", meaning to beat or strike.
When combined, "counter-" and "pulsation" form the word "counterpulsation", which refers to a medical technique or process that involves counteracting or reversing the natural pulsation of a bodily function, often used in the context of cardiovascular medicine and treatment.
