counterpulsation

noun

A procedure used to mitigate angina, heart failure, or cardiomyopathy, in which pneumatic cuffs are timed to inflate and deflate based on the individual's electrocardiogram, decreasing the afterload that the heart has to pump against and increasing the preload that fills the heart.

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Meanings

nouncounterpulsation (countable and uncountable, plural counterpulsations)

plural counterpulsations

  1. countableuncountableA procedure used to mitigate angina, heart failure, or cardiomyopathy, in which pneumatic cuffs are timed to inflate and deflate based on the individual's electrocardiogram, decreasing the afterload that the heart has to pump against and increasing the preload that fills the heart.

Origin

From counter- + pulsation.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

counterpulsation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterpulsation

MLA

“counterpulsation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterpulsation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “counterpulsation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterpulsation.

Source: counterpulsation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.