Page 106 - Clinical Biochemistry

Angina

• Ischemia –reduction of the heart’s blood and oxygen supply.
• The more serious the oxygen deprivation, the more severe the pain.

Acute Myocardial infarction (AMI) or heart attack

• Blood supplying the heart is disrupted.
• May cause the heart to beat irregularly or stop altogether.
• 25% of people do not survive their first heart attack.
• Coronary thrombosis –blood clot in the artery.
• Embolus –when the blood clot moves through the circulatory system.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack

• Intense, prolonged chest pain or pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Nausea and vomiting (especially women)
• Dizziness (especially women)
• Weakness
• Jaw, neck and shoulder pain (especially women)
• Irregular heartbeat

Thrombolysis

Thrombolysis involves injecting an agent such as tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) to
dissolve the clot and restore some blood flow.

Angioplasty:

A thin catheter is threaded through the blocked arteries. The catheter has a balloon on the tip
which is inflated to flatten the fatty deposits against the wall of the artery.

Coronary bypass surgery:

A blood vessel is taken from another site and implanted to bypass blocked arteries and transport
blood.