When a catheter is used to inject a dye that can be seen on X-rays, the procedure is called angiography. When a catheter is used to clear a narrowed or blocked artery, the procedure is called angioplasty or a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Coccobacillus. A coccobacillus is a type of bacterium with a shape that is intermediate between cocci and bacilli. Coccobacilli are therefore in essence very short rods which may be mistaken for cocci. Haemophilus influenzae, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Chlamydia trachomatis are coccobacilli. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative coccobacillus that is prevalent in subgingival plaques. Acinetobacter strains may grow on solid media as coccobacilli. Bordetella pertussis is a gram-negative coccobacillus responsible for causing whooping cough. Coxiella burnetti is also a coccobacillus. Bacteria from the Brucellae genus are medically important coccobacilli that cause brucellosis.
Full Definition of BACILLUS. 1. : any of a genus (Bacillus) of rod-shaped gram-positive usually aerobic bacteria producing endospores and including many saprophytes and some parasites (as B. anthracis of anthrax); broadly: a straight rod-shaped bacterium. 2. : bacterium; especially: a disease-producing bacterium.edical Definition of BACILLUS. 1. a capitalized: a genus of rod-shaped gram-positive endospore-producing usually aerobic bacteria of the family Bacillaceae that include many saprophytes and some parasites (as B. anthracis of anthrax) b: any bacterium of the genus Bacillus; broadly: a straight rod-shaped bacterium. 2.