Intersystole is a medical term that refers to the brief period between heartbeats when the heart muscle is relaxed. It is spelled /ˌɪntərˈsɪstəli/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first syllable, "inter," is pronounced with a short "i" sound, followed by a "t" sound. The second syllable, "systole," is pronounced with a long "i" sound, followed by a "st" and then a short "o" sound. The final syllable, "le," is pronounced with a long "e" sound. Correct spelling of medical terms is crucial to ensuring accurate communication among healthcare professionals.
Intersystole is a medical term that refers to the period of time between the contractions of the heart's ventricles, specifically the time between the end of one ventricular systole and the beginning of the next. It is the brief relaxation phase that allows the chambers of the heart to refill with blood before the next contraction occurs.
During intersystole, the ventricles are in a state of diastole, which is the phase of the cardiac cycle when the heart muscle relaxes and expands to fill with blood. This process is vital for maintaining proper blood flow and supplying oxygenated blood to the body's tissues and organs.
Measuring the duration of intersystole is important in assessing the overall functioning of the heart. Deviations from the normal duration can provide valuable information about a person's cardiovascular health and potential underlying conditions. For instance, a shortened period of intersystole may indicate that the heart is not adequately filling with blood, which could be suggestive of heart failure, while a lengthened period may suggest abnormalities such as a slow heart rate or a blockage in the electrical conduction system of the heart.
In conclusion, intersystole refers to the interval between the contractions of the ventricles, during which the heart relaxes and fills with blood. It serves a crucial role in maintaining proper cardiac function and can provide insight into the health of the cardiovascular system.
Intersystolic period, the a.-c. interval, the period intervening between the systole of the atrium and that of the ventricle of the heart.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "intersystole" is derived from two Latin roots: "inter", meaning between, and "systole", referring to the contraction phase of the heartbeat. "Systole" itself comes from the Greek word "sustellō", which means "to contract". Thus, the combination of "inter" and "systole" in "intersystole" suggests an interval or period between contractions of the heart.