Acute Coronary Syndrome I Flashcards
1
Q
Acute Coronary Syndromes
- aka
- Refers to…
- Result of…
- Associated w/…
A
- aka
- ACS, syndromes of acute myocardial ischemia, or unstable coronary syndrome
- Refers to…
- ST elevation myocaridal infarction (STEMI)
- Non-ST segment myocardial infarction (STEMI)
- Unstable angina pectoris (UA): syndrome of threatening MI
- Result of…
- Tissue death
- Necrosis
- Hypoxia
- Associated w/…
- Increased risk of systemic or pulmonary embolism
- Supports role of anti-thrombotic therapy as part of therapy
2
Q
Plaque Disruption (“Unstable Plaque”) & the Pathophysiology of the ACS
- Acute myocardial ischemia in most cases is the result of…
- Underlying pathophysiology
- Plaque
A
- Acute myocardial ischemia in most cases is the result of…
- Dynamic limitations in coronary blod flow (a “supply” problem)
- Not a “demand” problem that causes chronic stable MI
- Can occur at any time in the course of coronray atherosclerosis
- Dynamic limitations in coronary blod flow (a “supply” problem)
- Underlying pathophysiology
- Deterioration & disruption of an atherosclerotic plaque –> sudden occlusion of coronary artery
- Plaque
- Mildly narrowing & flow-limiting
- Porr in calcium & fibrous tissue
- Rich in lipids
- May become inflamed due to…
- Attaining a certain threshold level of oxidized lipid
- Infection of a plaque
- Involvement in the plaque by a systemic inflammatory process
3
Q
Dynamic & Transient Limitations in Coronary Blood Flow & the Pathophysiology of the ACS
- Inflammation, “self-digestion,” & ateriosclerotic plaque disruption lead to…
- Transient limitations in coronary blood flow result in…
- Eventual outcome of this process determines…
- If this process is kept in check…
A
- Inflammation, “self-digestion,” & ateriosclerotic plaque disruption lead to…
- Varying degrees of plaque disruption (prothrombotic)
- Endothelial cell dysfunction
- Abnormal vasoconstriction in the region of the deteriorating plaque
- Transient limitations in coronary blood flow result in…
- Clot & abnormal vasoconstriction wax & wane in the coronary vessel
- Can occur for hours, days, or weeks
- Accounts for the development of MI following unstable angina
- Eventual outcome of this process determines…
- The worst clinical syndrome that will afflict the patient (UA, NSTEMI, or STEMI)
- If this process is kept in check…
- By the normal governing process of thrombosis & thrombolysis
- Total or near-total occlusion of the involved coronary doesn’t occur or is brief
- Unstable plaque may heal
4
Q
Clots, Occlusion, & MI Timing
- White clots (platelet plugs) vs. red clots
- Partial / short duration total vs. long duration total occlusion
- Timing of acute MIs
A
- White clots (platelet plugs) vs. red clots
- White clots
- –> unstable angina
- Prone to dispersal in the arteries
- Red clots
- –> MI
- More stable & less prone to dispersal
- White clots
- Partial vs. total occlusion
- Partial occlusion w/ thrombus or total occlusion for a short time (<20 mins)
- –> NSTEMI
- Total & persistent occlusion (>20 mins)
- –> STEMI
- Partial occlusion w/ thrombus or total occlusion for a short time (<20 mins)
- Timing of acute MIs
- >1/2 of acute MIs occur during sleep or during mild to moderate physical activity
- Circadian rhythm to time of acute MIs –> greatest frequency b/n 6am & noon
5
Q
Less Common Causes of ACS
A
- Thrombus downstream of a chronic high-grade stenosis (~10%)
- Rheological factors associated w/ abnormal blood flow –> thrombosis at site of chornically & critically stenosed coronary artery –> MI
- Greatly increased myocardial oxygen demand
- Hyperadrenergic state
- Acute plaque disruption
- In the presence of fixed & stable atherosclerotic coronary narrowing
- Coronary spasm
- Spontaneous (Prinzmetal’s angina) or due to drugs
- W/ or w/o atherosclerotic coronary heart disease
- Embolism to a coronary artery
6
Q
Non Q Wave vs. Q Wave Infarction & the Wave Front of Myocardial Necrosis
- Tissue most at risk when myocardial blood flow is limited: subendocardial tissue
- Transmural vs. subendocardial infarction
- 2 categoreis of patients in the 1st hours of acute coronary syndromes
- Coronary vessel occlusion +
- Artery isn’t opened
- Artery is opened within an hour of occlusion
- Artery isn’t opened within 6-12 hours
- 3-4 hours of occlusion
- Factors in necrosis that speed propagation of the wave front
A
- Tissue most at risk when myocardial blood flow is limited: subendocardial tissue
- Large epicardial vessels give off nutirent mycoardial branches directly from subenpicardial to subendocardial tissue
- Vessel is constricted during systole by the tension from the contracting myocardium
- Transmural vs. subendocardial infarction
- Transmural: necrosis reaches epicardium, Q wave devlops
- Subendocardial: necrosis doesn’t reach epicardium, Q wave doesn’t develop
- 2 categoreis of patients in the 1st hours of acute coronary syndromes
- STEMI
- UA / NSTEMI
- Coronary vessel occlusion +
- Artery isn’t opened
- Tissue in jeopardy gradually undergoes irreversible damage in a wave front fashion moving from endocardium to epicardium
- Irreversible injury begins within 20 mins
- Artery is opened within an hour of occlusion
- Much of the muscle will survive
- Artery isn’t opened within 6-12 hours
- Little to none of the myocardium will survive
- 3-4 hours of occlusion
- About half of the jeopardized myocardium will be irreversibly damaged
- Artery isn’t opened
- Factors in necrosis that speed propagation of the wave front
- Presence & magnitude of coronray collateral vessels to the involved vessel
- Metabolic state of the myocardium
- Presence of anti-thrombotic therapy
7
Q
Normal Hemostasis & Control of Hemostasis
- Blood clot formation
- Hemostasis
- Too much vs. too little hemostasis (clot control)
- Following successful clotting…
- 2 essential elements for hemostasis
A
- Blood clot formation
- Occurs at the site of an injured vessel
- Hemostasis
- Must occur rapidly
- Limited to the local site of disruption / thrombus formation
- Must be under good control
- Too much vs. too little hemostasis (clot control)
- Too much –> severe hemorrhage
- Too little –> occlude
- Following successful clotting…
- The clot must be removed by thrombolysis (fribrinolysis) & the damaged tissue must be healed
- 2 essential elements for hemostasis
- Platelet plug
- Fibrin formation
8
Q
Platelet Plug Formation
A
- Platelets: small, plate-like codies that aren’t adherent
- Platelets are activated by thrombin or exposed to collagen
- –> change from a rounded to plate-like shape w/ multiple sticky pseudopods
- –> adhere to the subendothelial matrix
- –> secrete platelet granule products
- –> enhance thrombin generation
- –> activate other platelets
- Feed back loop involving platelet ADP release & platelet generation of thromboxane A-2
- –> aggregate w/ other platelets into a platelet plug
- –> expose the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIia complex (integrin)
- Site of fibrinogen & fibrin binding at the platelet surface
9
Q
Fibrin Formation
A
- Activated factor II (IIa) –> thrombin
- Thrombin releases tissue factor
- Tissue factor + activated coagulation factor VII (VIIa) –> activated factor X (Xa)
- Xa: prothrombin (II) –> thrombin (IIa)
- Thrombin (IIa): fibrinogen (soluble) –> fibrin (insoluble)
- Feedback loop creates more thrombin
- Thrombin (IIa) –> activated factor XIII (XIIIa)
- Aids in crosslinking & stabliizing fibrin into a web
10
Q
Formation & Propagation of Thrombus
A
- Fibrin web attach to & stabilize platelet plugs at the glycoprotein (BP) IIb/IIIa complex
- Incorporation fo platelet plug into fibrin –> stabilization of fibrin web –> traps RBCs & WBCs
- Platelet plugs (white clots) quickly convert into propagating, resilient red clots
11
Q
Control of Platelet Activation & Fibrin Formation
- Platelet activation & aggregation are inhibited locally by…
- Antithrombin/heparin system
A
- Platelet activation & aggregation are inhibited locally by…
- Local endotehlial production of prostacyclin
- NO (EDRF)
- Antithrombin/heparin system
- Controls fibrin formation
- Antithrombin (AT)
- Circulating plasma protease inhibitor
- Inhibits thrombin, Xa, & 3 other coagulation factors
- AT binds w/ endogenous heparin, polymeric chains of monosaccarides, & endothelial heparin sulfate moities –> enhances inactivation
- Heparin binds to thrombin & AT simultaneously –> inactivates thrombin
- Only occurs when heparin contains _>_18 monosaccharide units
- Shorter units inactivate Xa
- Heparins have a pentasaccharide unit important in AT binding
- Only occurs when heparin contains _>_18 monosaccharide units
12
Q
Thrombolysis
- Controlled vs. uncontrolled
- Controlled by…
- Caused by…
- Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA)
A
- Controlled vs. uncontrolled
- Controlled: removes clots
- Uncontrolled: hemorrhage
- Controlled by…
- Thrombolytic inhibitors (local process)
- 4 inhibitory mechanisms
- Caused by…
- t-PA activation of circulating plasminogen to plasmin
- Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA)
- One of two native plasminogen activators in circulation
- Product of endothelium
- Binds to fibrin to maximally activate plasminogen
13
Q
Anti-thrombotic Drugs
- Treats…
- Categories
A
- Treat ACS
- Open acutely closed coronary arteries
- Prevent further thrombosis
- Prevent thrombotic & thromboembolic complications
- Categories
- Anti-platelet agents
- Anti-thrombin agents (“anticoagulatns”)
- Local & systemic effects
- Problem: bleeding
- Thrombolytic (fibrinolytic) agents (plasminogen activates)
- Local & systemic effects
- Problem: bleeding
14
Q
Anti-platelet Agents
A
- Anti-thrombotic drugs
- 4 types
- Aspirin
- Platelet P2Y12 protein (ADP binding) inhibitors
- Thienopyridines
- Cyclo-pentyl-triazolo-pyrimidines (CPTPs)
- Platelet GPIIb/IIIa blockers
- Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1), thrombin-binding inhibitors
15
Q
Aspirin
- Type
- General
- Low dose
A
- Type
- Anti-thrombotic anti-platelet agents
- General
- Irreversible COX-1 inhibitor for the anuclear platelet
- Permanently decreases thromboxane A2 synthesis in the affected platelet
- Decreases teh positive feedbacl loop of thromboxane A2 in recruiting more activated platelets
- Low dose
- Max inhibition of thromboxane production
- Min decrease on prostacyclin production by endothelial cells
- Endothelial cells have nuclei & can make new COX-1 molecules