NCIt 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.;
Alternative definition : CDISC: 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.; ACC/AHA: Passage of a small catheter through a vein or artery in an arm or leg or
the neck and into the heart, permitting the securing of blood samples, determination
of intracardiac pressure, and detection of cardiac anomalies.;