US Medical Term · tests
Cardiac Catheterization
Cateterismo Cardíaco
Also: Cateterización Cardíaca (regional variant)
What it means
Cardiac catheterization, also known as cardiac cath or heart catheterization, is a medical procedure used to diagnose and treat some heart conditions. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in the arm, groin or upper thigh, or neck and threaded through the blood vessels to the heart. Through it, a doctor can measure pressure and blood flow in the heart's chambers, examine the arteries of the heart, and collect blood samples; for some procedures a dye is injected to help show the structures and vessels within the heart. MedlinePlus says the person is awake and able to follow instructions during the test, and that the test may last 30 to 60 minutes, or longer if special procedures are also needed.
Cardiac Catheterization in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Cateterismo Cardíaco
- Gender and article
- masculine: el cateterismo cardíaco
- Pronunciation
- kah-teh-teh-REES-moh kar-DEE-ah-koh
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cateterismo del corazón | General | Listed by MedlinePlus en español among the alternative names of its article on cateterismo cardíaco. |
| cateterización cardíaca | General | Form printed inside the MedlinePlus en español alternative-names list (for example 'Angina - cateterización cardíaca'), which also lists 'Cateterización - cardíaca'. |
| estudio hemodinámico | General | The NHLBI's Spanish page says cateterismo cardíaco is 'también conocido como estudio hemodinámico'. |
The headword matches the title that MedlinePlus en español and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) give the procedure, printed on both pages with a lowercase second word: cateterismo cardíaco. The Real Academia Española dictionary marks cateterismo as a masculine medical noun and defines it as an exploratory procedure that consists of introducing a catheter into a duct or cavity, so the phrase takes el and un.
MedlinePlus en español lists cateterismo del corazón among its alternative names, and the form cateterización cardíaca appears in the same list. The NHLBI's Spanish page says the procedure is also known as estudio hemodinámico; its English page gives "cardiac cath" and "heart catheterization" instead. Words the Spanish pages use alongside the term are catéter, which MedlinePlus en español describes as una sonda delgada y flexible; ingle (groin); vaso sanguíneo (blood vessel); medio de contraste (contrast dye); válvulas cardíacas (heart valves); and coágulos de sangre (blood clots).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician | We recommend a cardiac catheterization to examine the arteries of your heart. | Le recomendamos un cateterismo cardíaco para examinar las arterias de su corazón. |
| Patient | Will I be put to sleep for the procedure? | ¿Me van a dormir para el procedimiento? |
| Clinician | No. You will get medicine to help you relax, and you will be able to follow instructions. | No. Recibirá un medicamento para ayudarle a relajarse, y podrá seguir instrucciones. |
| Patient | Where will the catheter go in, through my groin or my arm? | ¿Por dónde van a introducir el catéter, por la ingle o por el brazo? |
| Patient | How long before the test do I have to stop eating and drinking? | ¿Cuánto tiempo antes del examen tengo que dejar de comer y beber? |
| Clinician | Have you ever had a bad reaction to contrast dye or iodine? | ¿Ha tenido alguna vez una mala reacción a un medio de contraste o al yodo? |
| Patient | How long will I have to lie flat on my back afterward? | ¿Cuánto tiempo tendré que quedarme boca arriba después? |
| Patient | If you find a blockage, can you place a stent during the same procedure? | Si encuentran una obstrucción, ¿pueden colocar un stent durante el mismo procedimiento? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Cardiac Catheterization |
| Spanish (Español) | Cateterismo Cardíaco |
| Chinese (中文) | 心導管檢查 |
| Korean (한국어) | 심장 도관 삽입술 (심도자술) |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Thông tim (đặt ống thông tim) |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Cardiac Catheterization |
| Portuguese (Português) | Cateterismo Cardíaco |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การสวนหัวใจ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 心臓カテーテル検査 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Heart and circulation
All terms in this area: Heart and circulation — Corazón y circulación
Sources
- Cardiac catheterization: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Cateterismo cardíaco: MedlinePlus enciclopedia médica — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Cardiac Catheterization - What Is Cardiac Catheterization — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH
- Cateterismo cardíaco - Qué es un cateterismo cardíaco? — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH
- cateterismo — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026