Cardiac Dictionary for Letter D

Deep Venous Thrombosis - A blood clot that forms in a vein resulting in obstruction of venous flow. Most common clinically in the lower extremities.
 
Defibrillation - The act to arrest the fibrillation of heart muscle by applying electric shock across the chest.
 
Defibrillator - The machine that produces an electric shock, that arrests fibrillation of the ventricular muscle and restores the normal beat.
 
Diabetes - A chronic disease due to an inadequate production or use of insulin.
 
Diastolic Blood Pressure - The blood pressure reading on the bottom. This is determined during the dilatation of the heart cavities, during which these cavities fill with blood.
 
Digoxin - a drug that stimulates the heart; used to treat heart failure and certain forms of irregular heart beats.
 
Diuretics - Medications used to reduce high blood pressure and/or to reduce the fluid build up caused by congestive heart disease.