Definitions for "CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION"
The passing of a catheter through a peripheral blood vessel and inside the heart, either for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
cardiac catheterization: a diagnostic test in which a thin tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery in the leg and passed to the heart. Contrast solution (or dye) is injected through the catheter and an x-ray camera takes pictures of the coronary arteries, providing a "road map" that helps doctors pinpoint any arterial blockages.
Examination of the heart by the passage of a thin tube or catheter into an artery or vein and up to the heart. This is done to sample oxygen, measure pressures and make X-ray videos of how the heart functions.