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Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Musculoskeletal Systems

Duration: 60 min · Level: Foundational · Module: 2. Medical Terminology & Body Systems · Focus: cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, terminology

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to explain and apply:

  • Cardiovascular key terms
  • Common cardiovascular abbreviations
  • Respiratory key terms
  • Respiratory abbreviations
  • Musculoskeletal key terms

Why this matters​

Three of the most heavily documented body systems in clinical records.

Overview​

Three of the most heavily documented body systems in clinical records. Cardiovascular conditions are the leading cause of US hospitalizations; respiratory documentation drives many DRG assignments; musculoskeletal documentation is critical for orthopedic and physical therapy records.

Key concepts​

Key idea

Cardiovascular key terms: myocardial infarction (MI/heart attack), angina pectoris (chest pain from coronary artery disease), arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), atherosclerosis (arterial plaque), echocardiogram (ultrasound of heart), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

  • Common cardiovascular abbreviations: CHF (congestive heart failure), CAD (coronary artery disease), HTN (hypertension), BP (blood pressure), EKG/ECG (electrocardiogram), PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention)
  • Respiratory key terms: pneumonia (lung infection), COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), dyspnea (difficulty breathing), atelectasis (lung collapse), bronchospasm (airway narrowing), intubation (placement of breathing tube)
  • Respiratory abbreviations: SOB (shortness of breath), O2 sat (oxygen saturation), ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), ABG (arterial blood gas), BiPAP/CPAP (positive airway pressure devices)
  • Musculoskeletal key terms: fracture types (closed/open, comminuted, greenstick), sprain vs strain (ligament vs muscle/tendon), arthroplasty (joint replacement), arthroscopy (joint camera), osteoporosis (bone density loss)
  • MSK documentation note: laterality must always be documented — "left femur fracture" not just "femur fracture"; ICD-10-CM requires laterality for most MSK codes

Check your understanding​

Try to recall each answer before expanding it.

Q1. What do you know about Cardiovascular key terms?

myocardial infarction (MI/heart attack), angina pectoris (chest pain from coronary artery disease), arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), atherosclerosis (arterial plaque), echocardiogram (ultrasound of heart), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

Q2. What do you know about Common cardiovascular abbreviations?

CHF (congestive heart failure), CAD (coronary artery disease), HTN (hypertension), BP (blood pressure), EKG/ECG (electrocardiogram), PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention)

Q3. What do you know about Respiratory key terms?

pneumonia (lung infection), COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), dyspnea (difficulty breathing), atelectasis (lung collapse), bronchospasm (airway narrowing), intubation (placement of breathing tube)

Q4. What do you know about Respiratory abbreviations?

SOB (shortness of breath), O2 sat (oxygen saturation), ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), ABG (arterial blood gas), BiPAP/CPAP (positive airway pressure devices)

Q5. What do you know about Musculoskeletal key terms?

fracture types (closed/open, comminuted, greenstick), sprain vs strain (ligament vs muscle/tendon), arthroplasty (joint replacement), arthroscopy (joint camera), osteoporosis (bone density loss)

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Part of Module 2: Medical Terminology & Body Systems.