Category: Ha-Hf

Also known as giant cell pneumonia, this is a deadly but fortunately rare complication of measles. It tends to strike children who are immunodeficient as from leukemia or HIV/AIDS. The postmortem examination (autopsy) shows multinucleated giant cells lining the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. Named for the early 20th-century Austrian pathologist Victor Hecht.

Heat rash is an irritation of the skin that results from excessive sweating during hot and humid weather. Heat rash appears as clusters of red papules or blisters on the skin. It is more likely to occur on the neck and upper chest, in the groin, under the breasts, and in elbow creases. Children are more likely…

Overheating of the body due to extreme weather conditions. Unrelieved hyperthermia can lead to collapse and death, particularly in the elderly. Prevention via air conditioning, ventilation, and drinking extra water is the key for vulnerable persons. In emergency cases, injections of saline solution and rapid cooling of the body may be needed. Also known as heatstroke or hyperthermia.

An uncomfortable feeling of burning and warmth occurring in waves rising up behind the breastbone (sternum) toward the neck. It is usually due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the rise of stomach acid back up into the esophagus. Heartburn has nothing whatsoever to do with the heart. It is a popular nonmedical term. It is medically called pyrosis.

ElectroPhysiologic Study of the heart, a test of the electrical conduction system of the heart (the system that generates the heart beat). EPS is done by threading thin plastic tubes (catheters) into a vein where the leg connects to the abdomen. A local anesthetic is given as well as a mild sedative. The procedure is not painful and the patient is…

Abnormal rhythm of the heartbeat due to irregularities in transmission of the electrical signals that normally control heart rate and rhythm. Also known as arrhythmias. With an arrhythmia, the heartbeats may be irregular or too slow (bradycardia), too rapid (tachycardia), or occur too early. When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal, it is called a…

The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate is based on the number of contractions of the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). The heart rate may be too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia). The pulse is a bulge of an artery from waves of blood that course through…

A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The heart muscle, or cardiac muscle, is medically called the myocardium (“myo-” being the prefix denoting muscle).

An unusual, ‘whooshing’ heart sound that may be innocent or may reflect disease or malformation. A heart murmur is created by blood flow through a heart valve, by blood flow through a narrowed chamber, or by an unusual connection between the chambers, as seen with congenital heart disease. Sometimes a heart murmur does not represent any disease or condition and…

Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically, failure of the heart to pump blood with normal efficiency. When this occurs, the heart is unable to provide adequate blood flow to other organs such as the brain, liver and kidneys. Heart failure may be due to failure of the right or…