Heart and monitoring words, in plain language

Doctors and nurses use a lot of special words. Here are the ones you may hear after heart surgery, each explained in simple terms. You do not need any medical background.

Anticoagulant (blood thinner)

A medicine that helps keep blood from clotting too easily. After heart surgery it lowers some risks, but it can also make bleeding, including bleeding around the heart, more likely. That is why your care team watches you closely. See our plain-language guide on blood thinners.

Cardiac tamponade

Say: tam-pon-AYD. This is when fluid around the heart presses on it so hard that the heart cannot fill and pump the way it should. It is a medical emergency and needs treatment right away. The good news: caught early, it is very treatable.

Echocardiogram (echo)

An ultrasound picture of the heart. It can show fluid around the heart. After surgery, though, it can miss some collections of fluid or clot, which is one reason watching for warning signs at home matters.

Pericardial effusion

Say: pair-ih-CAR-dee-ul eh-FYOO-zhun. Extra fluid building up in the thin sac around your heart. A small amount may cause no trouble. A larger amount can press on the heart.

Pericardium

The thin sac that surrounds your heart, a little like a snug bag around it.

Pulse oximeter

The small clip that goes on your fingertip to check your oxygen. It also senses your pulse. You have probably seen one at a doctor's office or hospital. PulSentry reads the same pulse signal this clip already makes.

Pulsus paradoxus

A bigger-than-normal drop in the strength of your pulse each time you breathe in. You usually cannot feel it. Doctors treat it as a warning sign. See the plain-language guide.

Remote patient monitoring (RPM)

When your care team keeps an eye on health readings from your home, so a problem can be spotted between visits. See what home monitoring is like.