Acute Coronary Syndromes Overview Flashcards
what are two pathological processes which occur in blood vessels?
narrowing and occlusion
what does narrowing of the blood vessel give?
inadequate oxygen delivery for tissue needs, cramp in affected tissue/muscle, no residual deficit at first
what is the consequences of blood vessel occlusion?
no oxygen delivery, tissue death, more severe pain, loss of function of tissue
what happens if one side of the heart fails?
both sides of the heart fail
what are the 3 main arteries coming from the aorta?
right, left, circumflex
when does the blood flow?
when the valve is shut during diastole
in what circumstances are coronary arteries tested?
during exercise
where does atherosclerosis tend to curr?
at areas of stress to the artery (where there is turbulent blood flow)
what are the 4 possibilities of an acute coronary syndrome?
stable angina, unstable angina, NSTEMI, STEMI
why is stable angina caused?
atherosclerotic plaque is narrowing the blood flow
what happens with stable angina?
angina pain happens which is reversible if the O2 requirements are achieved - stopping exercise or increasing blood flow
what causes unstable angin?
development of clot on top of atherosclerosis but does not occlude the vessel
when does unstable angina occur?
at any time (not exercise triggered)
what is an NSTEMI?
no ST segment elevation myocardial infarction
what is an NSTEMI associated with?
sub-endocardial infarct
