Myocardial Infarction Essay
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND THE AGING ADULT
Acute Coronary syndrome (ACS) is an emergent situation characterized by an acute onset of myocardial ischemia that results in myocardial death (i.e., MI) if definitive interventions do not occur promptly. (Although the terms coronary occlusion, heart attack, and myocardial infarction are used synonymously, the preferred term is myocardial infarction.) The spectrum of ACS includes unstable angina, NSTEMI, and ST-segment elevation of myocardial infarction (STEMI). In an MI, plaque rupture and subsequent thrombus formation result in complete occlusion of the artery, leading to ischemia and necrosis of the myocardium supplied by that artery. Although there are many causes of MI, in each case, a profound …show more content…
Typical symptoms of acute ACS/MI include, but are not limited to, sudden retrosternal chest pain (usually radiating to the left arm, left side of the neck, or abdomen) with shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, sweating, anxiety and sudden death, with no precursor signs. However, a sizeable proportion of myocardial infarctions are 'silent', that is without chest pain or other symptoms. This has brought challenges to the diagnostic issues of AMI. Typically, the electrocardiogram (ECG) provides unique and important diagnostic information to distinguish STEMI and NSTEMI acute coronary syndromes. (Li, Clark, Versace, & Newman, …show more content…
Moreover, impaired higher functions related to dementia and/or delirium are often present in elderly patients, these alterations can decrease the accuracy of diagnosis of the main complaint and mask potentially serious diseases. Elderly patients with atypical clinical symptoms are at risk of delayed diagnosis, incorrect management and inappropriate discharge, and are less likely to receive reperfusion therapy. This underlines the importance of a rigorous diagnostic approach, including the completion of an ECG when an elderly patient with poor or no communication skills, even in the absence of cardiovascular symptoms (Grosmaitre et al.,
Acute Coronary syndrome (ACS) is an emergent situation characterized by an acute onset of myocardial ischemia that results in myocardial death (i.e., MI) if definitive interventions do not occur promptly. (Although the terms coronary occlusion, heart attack, and myocardial infarction are used synonymously, the preferred term is myocardial infarction.) The spectrum of ACS includes unstable angina, NSTEMI, and ST-segment elevation of myocardial infarction (STEMI). In an MI, plaque rupture and subsequent thrombus formation result in complete occlusion of the artery, leading to ischemia and necrosis of the myocardium supplied by that artery. Although there are many causes of MI, in each case, a profound …show more content…
Typical symptoms of acute ACS/MI include, but are not limited to, sudden retrosternal chest pain (usually radiating to the left arm, left side of the neck, or abdomen) with shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, sweating, anxiety and sudden death, with no precursor signs. However, a sizeable proportion of myocardial infarctions are 'silent', that is without chest pain or other symptoms. This has brought challenges to the diagnostic issues of AMI. Typically, the electrocardiogram (ECG) provides unique and important diagnostic information to distinguish STEMI and NSTEMI acute coronary syndromes. (Li, Clark, Versace, & Newman, …show more content…
Moreover, impaired higher functions related to dementia and/or delirium are often present in elderly patients, these alterations can decrease the accuracy of diagnosis of the main complaint and mask potentially serious diseases. Elderly patients with atypical clinical symptoms are at risk of delayed diagnosis, incorrect management and inappropriate discharge, and are less likely to receive reperfusion therapy. This underlines the importance of a rigorous diagnostic approach, including the completion of an ECG when an elderly patient with poor or no communication skills, even in the absence of cardiovascular symptoms (Grosmaitre et al.,