Which procedure involves the surgical puncture of the heart to remove fluid?

Which procedure involves the surgical puncture of the heart to remove fluid?

• A. Nuclear medicine
• B. Cardiocentesis
• C. Abdominocentesis
• D. Arthrocentesis

Answer: (B)

Think about how these medical terms are built. The suffix -centesis means a puncture to remove fluid, and cardio- points to the heart. So cardiocentesis describes puncturing the heart to drain fluid. That matches the idea of removing fluid from or around the heart, which is what the question is asking about. In contrast, abdominocentesis refers to withdrawing fluid from the abdomen, and arthrocentesis means puncturing a joint to remove synovial fluid. Nuclear medicine is a field focused on imaging and therapy using radioactive substances, not a puncture procedure.

Think about how these medical terms are built. The suffix -centesis means a puncture to remove fluid, and cardio- points to the heart. So cardiocentesis describes puncturing the heart to drain fluid. That matches the idea of removing fluid from or around the heart, which is what the question is asking about. In contrast, abdominocentesis refers to withdrawing fluid from the abdomen, and arthrocentesis means puncturing a joint to remove synovial fluid. Nuclear medicine is a field focused on imaging and therapy using radioactive substances, not a puncture procedure.