A Case Study On ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME At Sacred Heart Unit(St. Paul Hospital)

The most common type of heart disease is called coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease develops when the arteries narrow and become hard. The heart cannot receive all the blood it needs through the stiff narrow arteries. Symptoms include pressure and chest pain or squeezing in the chest which is also known as angina. Angina should be understood as a warning sign and that the sufferer is at an increased risk of a heart attack. When blood is blocked from getting to the heart for more than twenty minutes the result is a heart attack. The symptoms of a heart attack can be less dramatic than what television portrays. The Clutching of the chest and falling to the floor is not what women should expect. The common signs for women to look for are heartburn, loss of appetite, feeling tired or weak, shortness of breath, nausea, and pain in the back, neck or jaw. Women should not hesitate to call for help should they experience these symptoms. It is important that women do not let shame or embarrassment keep them from taking action to insure their safety.

Prior to starting medical treatment, I would like to obtain an ECG first to make sure that your chest pain is not related to any heart disease. GERD is most likely the cause of noncardiac chest pain, but it is important for patient safety that we get an ECG to make sure that we don’t overlook the possibility that you are having any cardiac symptoms (Buttaro et al., 2017).

Coronary artery disease affects the circulatory system. Chemically, this disease develops when blood vessels that are necessary for living become badly damaged. Cholesterol plaques become inflamed in the arteries. The most common signs and symptoms are chest pains which tighten the chest as if someone were standing on it. Shortening of breath also affects those with this disease because the heart is unable to supply enough blood. A major sign of this disease is having a heart attack. This indicates an artery that is completely blocked. This disease is caused by damaging the coronary arteries by smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. To diagnose this disease, medical physicians will perform physical exams and examine blood

12 Lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) - There are typical changes to the normal pattern of the ECG in a heart attack. Patterns that occur include pathological Q waves and ST elevation (Koutoukidis, Stainton & Hughson 2013, p. 505). However, it is possible to have a normal ECG even if a patient has had a heart attack. The indicators for this test include: suspected myocardial infarction, suspected pulmonary embolism, perceived cardiac dysrhythmias, fainting or collapse, a third heart sound, fourth heart sound, a cardiac murmur or other findings to indicate structural heart disease. The

A number of tests would be performed to analyze the extent of damage of the heart. An electrocardiogram would be one of the first tests performed to check the electrical

Most of the conditions in cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by methods like identifying the symptoms and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention). Symptoms of cardiovascular diseases can vary depending on the severeness of the condition itself. Symptoms may include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, swelling, weakness, dizziness, and/or pain and numbness in parts of the body (MedicineNet.com). If one experiences these symptoms, it is best to seek medical advice on what to do next. Chest discomfort can include chest pain, fluttering in the heart, and chest tightness (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention). Pain near

Some further tests that can be done are a Computed tomography scan (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart (MRI), by taking an X-ray which may show an enlarged heart, abnormal structure and arrangement of the abdominal organs and an Echocardiogram or Ultrasound of the heart.

In the evaluation of patients with chest pain, the preliminary ECG is a more clear-cut tool for early risk stratification with more recent recommendations indicating that ECG should be performed as early as possible, within 10 minutes of ED admittance. Early indicators associated with MI or ischemic complication such as ST segment elevation or depression allows rapid treatment aligning with the indicated complication. While the ECG may reveal significant indicators in certain situations, in other circumstances findings may be limited due to low diagnostic sensitivity

ACS also referred to as Acute Coronary syndrome is the blockage of blood flow to the heart. Some symptoms that occur when ACS takes place is chest pains (angina pectoris), having pains in the upper and lower extremities, shortness of breath, nausea and sweating. There are risk factors that can increase your risk for ACS such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Some ways in order to test for ACS is a blood test and electrocardiogram. It can show whether or not heart cells are dying. After being diagnosed with ACS, treatment is available. Some treatment options include medications, angioplasty and stents.

○ Imaging tests. These may include chest X-rays, an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram), or an MRI.

Blood tests, a physical examination and information about your medical history will be taken by your primary care physician. Diagnostic tests will be suggested if he/she has any concerns. One of the diagnostic tests that your physician may order is something called an electrocardiogram. Electrical signals are recorded in this electrocardiogram as they travel through your heart. Recommendations of Holter monitoring made be made in some cases. This ECG is when a portable monitor is worn twenty four hours. A previous heart attack or one that is happening can be revealed through an ECG. Another diagnostic test is called an echocardiogram. This test is when images of your heart are produced using sound waves. A stress test is another diagnostic test to look at your heart

     Heart attack occurs when a blood clot suddenly and completely blocks a diseased coronary artery, resulting in the death of the heart muscle cells supplied by that artery. Coronary and Coronary Thrombosis 2 are terms that can refer to a heart attack. Another term, Acute Myocardial Infarction 2, means death of heart muscle due to an inadequate blood supply.

• Acute coronary syndrome refers to several potentially life-threatening conditions associated with acute myocardial ischemia

Heart attacks , we have all seen them played out on our favorite drama shows but these shows do not address the real severity of an actual heart attack despite the great acting skills portrayed . A heart attack can also be known as a myocardial infarction (MI), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), acute coronary syndrome, coronary thrombosis, or coronary occlusion, either way it is not good news. Over 1.2 million people in American have heart attacks with many of them resulting in death (Heart attack, 2011). A heart attack is a serious life threatening condition that needs to be treated quickly.

After having a severe back pain about three weeks, I had to go to my private care physician. He went through general check up and set for EKG and Eco test. Having the report of EKG, he  referred me to the cardiologist. I became little nervous and scared as I had never been with Cardiologist in my life. I set an appointment and visited to the heart doctor. He asked me general information about the history of my parents and made some general tests on the fist day. He said, he had to go through the different tests to make sure everything was alright. For the first phase, he wanted to monitor at least 7 days to confirm my heart’s function.