Myocardial infarction Flashcards
Definition
Heart attack
Serious medical condition in which the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot
Cause
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause
– condition in which the major blood vessels that supply the heart get clogged with deposits of cholesterol known as plaques (atherosclerosis)
Before a heart attack one of the plaques ruptures, causing blood clots to develop
The clot may block the supply of blood to the heart, triggering a heart attack
Can be caused by both a full or partial blockage of the artery
Atherosclerosis is responsible for 90% of primary heart attacks via plaque rupture resulting in a thrombus
Risk factors
Age- men over 45 and women over 55 are more likely to have a heart attack
Smoking
Hypertension (can lead to damage of the coronary arteries)
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Obesity
Not enough exercise
Unhealthy diet
Drugs
Stress
Autoimmune condition like RA or lupus
Clinical presentation
Symptoms occur in the days or even week preceding the event:
– fatigue
– chest discomfort
– malaise
– typical chest pain in acute MI has the following characteristics:
—- intense and unremitting for 30-60 minutes
—- substernal, and often radiates up the neck, shoulder and jaw, and down the left arm
– in some patients the symptom is epigastric, with a feeling of indigestion or fullness and gas
– pt’s heart rate is often increased
– pulse may be irregular
– pt’s blood pressure generally elevated because of peripheral artery vasoconstriction
– respiratory rate may increase in response to pulmonary congestion or anxiety
– anxiety or ‘impending sense of doom’
– light-headedness with or without syncope
– coughing or wheezing
– nausea with or without vomiting
– women have an increased likelihood of atypical presentation (causing potential misdiagnosis)
Prognosis
The time it takes to recover depends on the amount of damage to your heart muscle that has taken place
Most people can return to work after they have suffered a heart attack
