Cardiac Triage is the structured prioritization of patients with suspected or known cardiovascular disease based on urgency and risk. It is a clinical workflow concept used in acute care, especially emergency medicine, prehospital care, and inpatient cardiology. It combines symptoms, vital signs, electrocardiography (ECG), biomarkers (for example troponin), and bedside assessment to guide next steps. It is commonly applied to presentations such as chest pain, dyspnea, syncope, palpitations, and hemodynamic instability.

Cardiac Emergency is an umbrella term for sudden, potentially life-threatening heart-related conditions that require immediate evaluation and time-sensitive treatment. It is used in acute care cardiology, emergency medicine, critical care, and prehospital care (paramedic/EMS). It commonly refers to problems of coronary blood flow, cardiac rhythm, pump function, or major cardiovascular structures. It is discussed in triage, resuscitation protocols, and urgent decision-making for diagnostics and intervention.

Basic Life Support is the initial set of emergency actions used to support breathing and circulation in a person who is critically ill or unresponsive. It is an acute-care protocol centered on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED). It is most commonly used for suspected cardiac arrest, severe respiratory failure, and choking emergencies. It is taught for both out-of-hospital and in-hospital settings as a foundational resuscitation skill.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support is a standardized approach to managing life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies, especially cardiac arrest. It combines rapid assessment, electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythm recognition, high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation, medications, and team-based care. It sits within acute care and resuscitation medicine and is used in emergency departments, intensive care units, operating rooms, and prehospital systems. It is commonly taught as an algorithm-driven clinical skill set for clinicians who respond to unstable patients.

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is an emergency procedure used when a person is in cardiac arrest (no effective pulse and no normal breathing). CPR is a life-support intervention in acute care, bridging to defibrillation, advanced resuscitation, and treatment of the underlying cause. It is commonly used in hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), and community settings.

Cardiac Resuscitation is the emergency set of actions used when the heart stops pumping effectively. It is a time-critical therapy and procedure sequence used in cardiology, emergency medicine, anesthesia, intensive care, and prehospital care. It commonly includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation when indicated, airway and ventilation support, and treatment of reversible causes. It is used in cardiac arrest and in peri-arrest states where collapse is imminent.

Cardiac Risk Stratification is the structured process of estimating a patient’s likelihood of a future cardiovascular event or complication. It is a clinical decision-making framework used across cardiology, emergency care, perioperative medicine, and long-term disease management. It combines history, examination, tests (for example, electrocardiogram), imaging (for example, echocardiography), and validated risk scores. It helps clinicians choose the intensity and timing of monitoring, diagnostic testing, and treatment.

MINOCA stands for **myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries**. It describes a **heart attack presentation** where coronary angiography shows **no obstructive coronary stenosis** that would typically explain the event. MINOCA is a **diagnostic working syndrome** in acute cardiology, not a single disease. It is commonly used in **ST-elevation MI (STEMI)** and **non–ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI)** pathways when angiography does not show an obvious culprit lesion.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection is a non-traumatic, non-iatrogenic tear or separation within a coronary artery wall. It is a cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and myocardial infarction (MI) that is distinct from atherosclerotic plaque rupture. It belongs to cardiovascular pathology and coronary artery anatomy, and it is most often discussed in emergency and acute cardiology settings. It is commonly identified during evaluation for chest pain with electrocardiography (ECG), cardiac biomarkers (e.g., troponin), and coronary angiography.

Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction is abnormal function of the heart’s small coronary vessels that can limit blood flow to the myocardium. It is a cardiovascular pathophysiology concept most often discussed in patients with angina or ischemia despite non-obstructive epicardial coronary arteries. It sits at the intersection of coronary anatomy, endothelial biology, and ischemic heart disease evaluation. It is commonly used in chest pain assessment pathways, stress testing interpretation, and invasive coronary function testing.