Cardiac Catheterization

**Semantic type:** Health Care Activity

**Definition:** A procedure in which a thin plastic tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery or vein in the arm or leg and then advanced into the chambers of the heart or into the coronary arteries. Catheterization can measure blood pressure within the heart and how much oxygen is in the blood. It's also used to get information about the pumping ability of the heart muscle. Catheters are also used to inject dye into the coronary arteries. Catheters with a balloon on the tip are used in the procedure called percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

**Synonyms:** - CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION - Cardiac catheterization