Year: 2026

A Transvenous Pacemaker is a cardiac pacing device system that delivers electrical impulses to the heart through a lead placed in a vein and positioned inside the heart. It is a **device and procedure** used to support or restore an adequate heart rate and rhythm. It is commonly encountered in emergency care, intensive care units, electrophysiology (EP) settings, and peri-procedural cardiology. In many contexts, the term refers to **temporary transvenous pacing**, but it can also describe **permanent pacemaker systems that use transvenous leads**.

A Subcutaneous ICD is an implantable cardiac device that detects and treats dangerous ventricular arrhythmias. It is a type of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) designed to sit under the skin rather than inside the heart and veins. It is commonly encountered in electrophysiology and heart failure risk management when preventing sudden cardiac death is a goal. It is discussed when a patient needs defibrillation therapy but may not need long-term pacing.

Device Interrogation is the process of retrieving and reviewing information from an implanted cardiac device. It is a diagnostic test and monitoring procedure. It is most often used with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) such as pacemakers and defibrillators. It is commonly encountered in electrophysiology clinics, emergency care, inpatient cardiology, and perioperative settings.

Lead Extraction is a procedure that removes implanted cardiac device leads from the body. It is most often discussed in the setting of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). It is a cardiovascular procedure performed when a lead is infected, malfunctioning, or no longer appropriate. It is commonly encountered in electrophysiology, device clinics, and inpatient cardiology consults.

AI in Cardiology means using artificial intelligence (AI) to support cardiovascular diagnosis, risk assessment, and care workflows. It is a clinical technology and decision-support category rather than a disease or symptom. It is commonly encountered in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation, cardiac imaging (echo, CT, MRI), and remote monitoring. It is also used to organize clinical data from electronic health records (EHRs) and cardiology reports.

Digital Cardiology is the use of digital tools and data to support cardiovascular care. It is a clinical domain within digital health that includes tests, devices, and software used in cardiology. It is commonly encountered in rhythm monitoring, blood pressure tracking, telehealth visits, and imaging workflows. It is used across prevention, diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up in cardiovascular medicine.

Cardiac Telehealth is the use of telecommunication technology to deliver cardiovascular care at a distance. It is a care delivery model, not a disease, test, or medication. It is commonly encountered in cardiology clinics, post-hospital follow-up, and chronic disease management (for example, heart failure and arrhythmias). It often combines clinical history-taking with remote monitoring data such as blood pressure, heart rate, rhythm tracings, and symptom reports.

Hypercoagulability is a condition in which the blood has an increased tendency to form clots. It is a physiologic and clinical state, not a single disease, and it sits at the intersection of hematology and cardiovascular medicine. In cardiology, it is commonly encountered when evaluating thrombosis (clots) in veins, arteries, or inside the heart. It is also a key concept behind many prevention and treatment decisions involving anticoagulants and antiplatelet therapies.

Family History is a structured record of health conditions in a patient’s biological relatives. It is a clinical history element, not a disease, symptom, or test result by itself. In cardiology, it is commonly documented during risk assessment for coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. It helps clinicians decide when inherited or familial cardiovascular conditions should be considered.

Sedentary Lifestyle describes a pattern of spending much of the day sitting or reclining with very low energy expenditure. It is a lifestyle and behavioral risk factor rather than a single disease or test. It is commonly discussed in preventive cardiology, risk factor counseling, and cardiac rehabilitation. It also influences how clinicians interpret symptoms like breathlessness, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance.