Cardiac catheterization is defined as insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart.

• A. Cardiac decompensation
• B. Coronary bypass graft
• C. Coronary angiography
• D. Cardiac catheterization

Answer: (D)

Cardiac catheterization is the act of inserting a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart to diagnose or treat conditions. This definition directly matches the term described, making it the best choice. The other terms refer to different concepts: cardiac decompensation is a worsening state of heart failure, not a procedure; a coronary bypass graft is a surgical procedure to reroute blood flow around blocked arteries; coronary angiography is an imaging test done via a catheter to visualize the coronary arteries, but the term in question specifically denotes the insertion of the catheter itself.