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  • Essay / Cardiovascular Diseases and Heart Attacks - 663

    Myocardial infarction is also known as heart attack in layman's language. It is normally caused by a clot in one of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. It is an acute illness that requires urgent medical attention as it can be fatal. Its treatment usually involves a medication that can dissolve the clot and create a way to allow blood to recirculate through the heart. Other treatment modalities include surgical procedures that create an artificial blood vessel that bypasses the blocked artery. This type of procedure is known as coronary artery bypass grafting. Interventions are performed to minimize damage to the heart if the blood supply is obstructed for long periods of time. Other treatments used are those that minimize pain and prevent the development of complications. As a preventative measure, reducing the various risk factors can help prevent the occurrence of a myocardial infarction. (Norris, 1982)In the event of a myocardial infarction, a coronary artery or even one of its smaller branches becomes blocked. This causes the part of the heart supplied by this artery to lose its blood supply. In retrospect, the affected part loses its oxygen supply and undergoes necrosis. Therefore, when part of the heart is said to be infarcted, it means that part of the heart muscle is damaged. The area affected depends on the size of the blocked coronary artery. If a larger coronary artery is blocked, more of the heart muscle is affected. On the contrary, if a smaller artery is affected, a smaller part of the heart is affected. After a few weeks of arterial blockade, the damaged part of the heart is replaced by scar tissue (Norris, 1982)....... middle of paper ...... in some cases this can last between 15 minutes to about an hour. The pain can sometimes feel like indigestion or heartburn. In rare cases, a myocardial infarction can occur without any pain and can therefore only be diagnosed using an electrocardiogram. Some people may collapse suddenly if a large part of the heart is affected. However, this is not very common. The diagnosis of a myocardial infarction is made through the use of an electrocardiogram and blood tests that measure the level of troponin in the blood. Troponin is the protein molecule that is released into the bloodstream when the heart muscle is destroyed. Treatment of myocardial infarction involves the use of medications such as low-dose aspirin and antiplatelet drugs. Heparin injections and painkillers may also be given. (Donoso, Ephraim; Lipski, Janet;, 1978)