Acute myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction is the destruction of the heart muscle. It is caused by a sharp violation of blood circulation due to a discrepancy between the needs of the heart muscle in oxygen and its delivery to the heart. Mortality from myocardial infarction over the past 20 years has increased by 60%, and the disease is significantly "younger".Now this diagnosis is often put and thirty. Myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of disability, and the total mortality from it among all cases is 12%.

In 95% of cases, the cause of myocardial infarction is thrombosis of the main coronary artery in the zone of an atherosclerotic plaque. When this plaque ruptures, its fissure or erosion, platelets and other blood cells begin to adhere to the injury site. This is how the "platelet plug" is formed. It quickly thickens and blocks the lumen of the artery. About 30 minutes after blockage, the heart muscle can remain viable. Then there is a process of irreversible changes in the heart muscle. At the third or sixth hour from the onset of occlusion, the heart muscle on this site dies.

Periods of myocardial infarction development

1. Pre-infarction period. Can last from a few minutes to several weeks. In this period, frequent attacks of unstable angina. If you start treatment in this period, then a heart attack in general can be avoided.

2. The sharpest period. It usually arises suddenly. During this period, the formation of variants of the course of the infarction. The options are as follows:

Pain is the most frequent option( 90% of infarcts flow through it).It begins with a severe pressing pain behind the sternum. The pain intensifies, often gives in the shoulder, arm, scapula, lower jaw. The duration of the attack from 5 minutes to 2 days. The patient has a feeling of fear, cold sweat, severe blanching of the face.

Asthmatic - it causes an infarction with shortness of breath or swelling of the lungs. This option is usually found in elderly patients, as well as in people with repeated myocardial infarction.

Abdominal variant - a heart attack starts with a sharp pain in the abdomen. The patient has nausea and vomiting, as well as bloating. Often such a variant of the development of a heart attack is taken for a certain surgical disease.

Cerebral variant of myocardial infarction develops when pain in the heart is absent. Reduced blood supply to the brain, there are severe headaches, dizziness, visual impairment. Paralysis of the limbs may even occur.

3. Acute period. It lasts approximately 8-10 days, during which the department of the deceased heart muscle is finally formed, in the place of necrosis a scar is formed. In acute period, the body temperature can increase significantly.

4. Subacute period lasts about 8 weeks. During this time the scar is finally formed and becomes dense.

5. Then within six months the post-infarction period lasts. During this time, the final stabilization of the patient's condition should occur. There is in this period the risk of repeated myocardial infarction, the emergence of angina pectoris or acute heart failure.

Treatment of myocardial infarction

Treatment is mandatory in a hospital in the intensive care unit. And, the earlier the patient gets there, the better the results of treatment. However, treatment of a heart attack must begin immediately. Even before the arrival of an ambulance, it is necessary to urgently lay the patient, giving him nitroglycerin. Treatment begins with the elimination of pain. If it can not be reduced with nitroglycerin or other nitrates, then narcotic analgesics are injected intravenously. The pain must be eliminated necessarily, otherwise it can cause a cardiogenic shock, to withdraw the patient from which it is extremely difficult. Next, preparations of various groups are used.

Treatment of a heart attack can not be limited to being in a hospital. After the hospital there is a long rehabilitation period, which lasts up to six months. At this time, you can gradually increase the physical load. Postponed in the past myocardial infarction changes a person's life. He must know that he will take some of the medicine for the rest of his life. It will be necessary to get rid of bad habits, to constantly monitor blood pressure. If you listen to the recommendations of doctors, then live after a heart attack can be fully and long.