Acute Coronary Syndrome Flashcards
Acute coronary syndromes include
Unstable angina, myocardial infarction (these are forms of coronary heart disease, which is the most common cause of cardiovascular disease death
typically results in an injury that transects the thickness of the myocardial wall. Pathologic Q-waves
STEMI
typically is limited to sub-endocardial myocardium. Patients do not usually develop the pathologic Q wave
NSTEMI
how is NSTEMI different from unstable angina
NSTEMI ischemia is severe enough to produce myocardial necrosis (need to draw blood, because they look alike on ECG)
general measures for patients presenting with ACS
oxygen stool softeners bedrest diet anxiolytics
this is generally preferred over fibrinolytic therapy for treating acute STEMI
primary PCI
what is PCI
percutaneous coronary intervention. Involves the placement of a coronary stent and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
dont give to a patient on a phosphodiesterase inhibitor
nitrates
there is no data demonstrating efficacy at reducing cardiac events, and is primarily used for symptom relief
nitroglycerin
this drug has sedative properties that tend to decrease anxiety and causes venodilation, decreases HR and BP
morphine
this drug class is shown to decrease mortality but had NO recommendation for NSTEMI/UA
fibrinolytics
therapy with this drug should be administered within 12 hours of symptom onset, should not be administered to pts whose symptoms begin more than 24 hours earlier
fibrinolytics
patients should take this drug if they cant chew an aspirin
clopidrogel
initial conservative therapy strategy that should be started ASAP after admission and continued for at least 1 month, ideally 1 year
clopidrogel plus ASA plus anticoagulant
initial invasive therapy strategy that should be given prior to diagnostic angiography or PCI
ASA plus either clopidregel or an IV GP IIaIIIb inh (such as abciximab)