Pathophysiology & Types
The primary pathophysiologic process leading to ACS.
This lifestyle habit accelerates atherosclerosis and endothelial damage.
What is plaque (rupture with thrombus formation)?
Rationale: Disrupted plaque triggers clot formation.
What is smoking?
Rationale: Promotes plaque development and thrombosis.
The most common symptom of ACS.
What is chest pain/pressure?
Rationale: Caused by myocardial ischemia.
First diagnostic test performed within 10 minutes of arrival.
What is a 12-lead ECG?
Rationale: Identifies ischemia or infarction.
ST elevation indicates this type of infarction.
What is STEMI?
Rationale: Suggests complete artery occlusion.
This common, over the counter medication decreases platelet aggregation immediately in ACS.
What is aspirin?
Rationale: Prevents clot progression.
Complete coronary artery occlusion leading to transmural infarction.
What is STEMI?
Rationale: Full-thickness damage causes ST elevation.
Pain radiating to this area is classic for ACS.
What is the left arm or jaw?
Rationale: Shared nerve pathways create referred pain.
This is the most specific biomarker for myocardial injury that is test for by blood draw.
A lab that may rise early but is less specific than troponin.
What is troponin?
Rationale: Elevated when cardiac muscle is damaged.
What is CK-MB?
Rationale: Present in cardiac and skeletal muscle.Troponin is better than CK-MB for diagnosing MI due to its higher specificity and sensitivity for cardiac tissue injury. Unlike CK-MB, which can be elevated by skeletal muscle damage, troponin I or T is specific to the heart.
ST depression indicates this condition.
What is ischemia?
Rationale: Partial perfusion deficit.
This medication relieves chest pain through vasodilation.
What is nitroglycerin?
Rationale: Improves coronary blood flow.
This ACS type involves partial coronary artery blockage without myocardial necrosis.
What is unstable angina?
Rationale: Ischemia occurs without elevated cardiac enzymes.
Having severe pain that is not relived in 30 mins by this type of medication my be a sign of MI.
What are Nitrates?
Imaging test used to visualize coronary arteries.
What is coronary angiography?
Rationale: Identifies blockage location.
Pathologic Q waves indicate this.
What is previous myocardial infarction?
Rationale: Suggests permanent tissue damage.
This medication reduces myocardial oxygen demand by lowering HR.
What are beta blockers?
Rationale: Decrease workload.
This imbalance between oxygen supply and demand causes myocardial ischemia.
What is decreased coronary perfusion?
Rationale: Reduced blood flow results in tissue hypoxia.
This symptom suggests cardiogenic shock in ACS.
What is hypotension?
Rationale: Severe pump failure reduces perfusion.
Continuous monitoring detects this dangerous ACS complication.
What are arrhythmias?
Rationale: Ischemic tissue disrupts electrical conduction.
T-wave inversion is a sign of this process.
What is myocardial ischemia?
Rationale: Reflects repolarization abnormalities.
Morphine is used to treat this ACS symptom.
What is severe chest pain/anxiety?
Rationale: Reduces sympathetic stress.
This ACS condition includes myocardial necrosis without ST elevation.
What is NSTEMI?
Rationale: Troponins rise due to myocardial injury but no ST elevation.
Atypical ACS symptoms that are more common in women that leads to delays in treatment.
What is nausea or fatigue? OR What is non-chest related symptoms?
Rationale: Many patients present without chest pain.
This diagnostic evaluates heart wall motion and function.
What is echocardiography?
Rationale: Identifies decreased contractility.
Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening complication of ACS causing this.
What is sudden cardiac arrest?
Rationale: Chaotic electrical activity prevents pumping.
This emergency reperfusion treatment is preferred for STEMI.
These medications dissolve clots when PCI is unavailable.
What is PCI (angioplasty)?
Rationale: Restores blood flow quickly.
What are thrombolytics?
Rationale: Break down fibrin clots.