Acute Coronary Syndrome Flashcards
what is an acute coronary syndrome?
constellation of symptoms and clinical findings which results from impaired cardiac perfusion at rest
what are the sub-types of ACS?
- unstable angina
- non-ST elevation myocardial infarction
- ST-elevation myocardial infarction
what is the difference betwen MI and angina?
MIS is the underperfusion of the myocardium leading to death of myocardial tissue
what are the non-modifiable risk factors for ACS?
- age
- male sex
- family history
- ethnicity (particularly South Asians)
what are the modifiable risk factors?
- smoking
- hypertension
- hyperlipidaemia
- hypercholesterolaemia
- obesity
- diabetes
- stress
- high fat diets
- physical inactivity
what is a STEMI?
complete occulsion of a coronary artery
what is an NSTEMI?
severe by incomplete stenosis/occlusion of a coronary artery
some patients can have NSTEMIs due to lack of cardiac oxygenation for other reasons (e.g. severe sepsis, hypotension, hypovolaemia, coronary artery spasm)
describe the chest pain typically experienced in ACS
in terms of SOCRATES
- site - central/left sided
- onset - sudden
- character - crushing (‘like somene is sitting on your chest’)
- radiation - left arm, neck and jaw
- associated symptoms - nausea, sweating, clamminess, shortness of breath, sometimes vomiting or syncope
- timing - constant
- exacerbating/relieving factors - worsened by exercise/exertion and may be improved by GTN
- severity - extremely severe
name some atypical presentations of ACS
- epigastric pain
- acute breathlessness
- palpitations
- acute confusion
- diabetic hyperglycaemic crises
- syncope
what patients are more likely to experience ACS without pain?
elderly and patients with diabetes
what are the diagnostic features of unstable angina?
- cardiac chest pain
- abnormal/normal ECG
- normal troponin
what are the diagnostic features of NSTEMI?
- cardiac chest pain
- abnormal/normal ECG (not ST-elevation)
- raised troponin
what are the diagnostic features of STEMI?
- cardiac chest pain
- persistent ST-elevation/new LBBB
no need for a tropnin in this case
what are the ECG requirements for a diagnosis of STEMI?
- ST segment elevation 2mm in adjacent chest leads
- ST segment elevation 1mm in adjacent limb leads
- new LBBB with chest pain or suspicion of MI
what investigations should be undertaken in ACS?
- ECG
- troponin - at least 3 hours after pain starts and then repeated at 6-12 hours
- renal function
- blood glucose
- lipid profile
- FBC and CRP
- chest x-ray