Contents
- 1 How does a myocardial infarction occur?
- 2 What factors are considered when diagnosing an acute myocardial infarction?
- 3 What happens to the body when experiencing a myocardial infarction?
- 4 What is acute myocardial infarction pathophysiology?
- 5 What are the 4 signs your heart is quietly failing?
- 6 What are 3 common complications of a myocardial infarction?
- 7 What are the three major characteristics used to diagnose a myocardial infarction?
- 8 How do you confirm myocardial infarction?
- 9 How do you identify a myocardial infarction on an ECG?
- 10 How long can you live with myocardial infarction?
- 11 What is the drug of choice for myocardial infarction?
- 12 What happens after a myocardial infarction?
- 13 What are the causes of acute myocardial infarction?
- 14 What are the types of myocardial infarction?
- 15 How do you handle a patient with myocardial infarction?
How does a myocardial infarction occur?
Overview. A heart attack (myocardial infarction) happens when one or more areas of the heart muscle don’t get enough oxygen. This happens when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked.
What factors are considered when diagnosing an acute myocardial infarction?
An MI is diagnosed when two of the following criteria are met:
- Symptoms of ischemia.
- New ST-segment changes or a left bundle branch block (LBBB)
- Presence of pathological Q waves on the ECG.
- Imaging study showing new regional wall motion abnormality.
- Presence of an intracoronary thrombus at autopsy or angiography.
What happens to the body when experiencing a myocardial infarction?
A heart attack is a sudden blockage of blood flow to your heart. Without adequate blood flow, your heart muscle can’t get the nutrients and oxygen it needs to function. Symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, heartburn, nausea, sweating and more.
What is acute myocardial infarction pathophysiology?
Acute myocardial infarction (MI) results from lack of oxygen supply to the working myocardium. Regional infarcts are due to lack of blood flow that occurs when an epicardial artery is blocked by atheroma or thrombus, or other obstructions.
What are the 4 signs your heart is quietly failing?
Heart failure signs and symptoms may include:
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea) when you exert yourself or when you lie down.
- Fatigue and weakness.
- Swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles and feet.
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
- Reduced ability to exercise.
- Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm.
What are 3 common complications of a myocardial infarction?
Complications associated with myocardial infarction
- Disturbance of rate, rhythm and conduction.
- Cardiac rupture.
- Heart failure.
- Pericarditis.
- Ventricular septal defect.
- Ventricular aneurysm.
- Ruptured papillary muscles.
- Dressler’s syndrome.
What are the three major characteristics used to diagnose a myocardial infarction?
The diagnosis of myocardial infarction requires two out of three components (history, ECG, and enzymes). When damage to the heart occurs, levels of cardiac markers rise over time, which is why blood tests for them are taken over a 24-hour period.
How do you confirm myocardial infarction?
How is acute myocardial infarction diagnosed?
- a stress test to see how your heart responds to certain situations, such as exercise.
- an angiogram with coronary catheterization to look for areas of blockage in your arteries.
- an echocardiogram to help identify areas of your heart that aren’t working properly.
How do you identify a myocardial infarction on an ECG?
The ECG findings of an acute anterior myocardial infarction wall include:
- ST segment elevation in the anterior leads (V3 and V4) at the J point and sometimes in the septal or lateral leads, depending on the extent of the MI.
- Reciprocal ST segment depression in the inferior leads (II, III and aVF).
How long can you live with myocardial infarction?
About 68.4 per cent males and 89.8 per cent females still living have already lived 10 to 14 years or longer after their first infarction attack; 27.3 per cent males, 15 to 19 years; and 4.3 per cent, 20 years or longer; of the females, one is alive 15 years, one 23 years and one 25 years or longer.
What is the drug of choice for myocardial infarction?
Analgesia and anti-emetics. The pain of myocardial infarction is usually severe and requires potent opiate analgesia. Intravenous diamorphine 2.5–5 mg (repeated as necessary) is the drug of choice and is not only a powerful analgesic but also has a useful anxiolytic effect.
What happens after a myocardial infarction?
Healing of the heart muscle begins soon after a heart attack and takes about eight weeks. Just like a skin wound, the heart’s wound heals and a scar will form in the damaged area. But, the new scar tissue does not contract or pump as well as healthy heart muscle tissue.
What are the causes of acute myocardial infarction?
What are the causes of myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack) other than atherosclerosis?
- Coronary occlusion secondary to vasculitis.
- Ventricular hypertrophy (eg, left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
- Coronary artery emboli, secondary to cholesterol, air, or the products of sepsis.
- Coronary trauma.
What are the types of myocardial infarction?
A heart attack is also known as a myocardial infarction. The three types of heart attacks are: ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)
Symptoms and signs of a STEMI
- nausea.
- shortness of breath.
- anxiety.
- lightheadedness.
- breaking out in a cold sweat.
How do you handle a patient with myocardial infarction?
Once the patient reaches hospital, the major aim of treatment is to decrease the size of the infarct. Fibrinolytic therapy with streptokinase or tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) restores coronary patency and significantly reduces mortality. Aspirin is mandatory unless there are absolute contraindications to its use.