myacardial infarction?

Question

can someone please tell me the pathophsialogy/etiology,signs,symptoms,treatment and nurseing procossses of myacardial infarction

Answer 1

There are several factors involved with an MI. There are genetic factors that can predispose someone to an MI, aterial plaquing and recreational drug use are just a few of the main reasons behind MI. In regards to cholesterol, a high level does not mean you are automatically going to have plaque and a MI. Elevated lipids represent a risk factor, which is then usually followed up. Genetics plays a large part, I've had some patients that had very elevated lipids but their arteries were free of plaque, and I've had some that had no history of elevated lipids, but ended up with an MI. It is a big complicated picture and depends on how your body deals with the ingested cholesterol and how your body makes it's own cholesterol, how much and what types.
Basically an MI occurs from a blockage of some sort that keeps an area of the heart from getting blood supply. This needs to be treated ASAP to stop the injury from spreading.
Men and women typically have different signs and symptoms. Men have a tendancy to display the classic signs of MI: Left chest pain, left jaw/arm pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and sometimes nausea.
Women will occasionally display those classic symptoms, but a lot of time they may present with shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of energy, dizziness, a vague pressure in the chest, burning or tingling in the chest, and very often a big case of denial moreso than men. They will usually wait longer to seek help than men.
When presented with a chest pain patient the nurse needs to alert the MD ASAP and that patient needs to be a priority. The crash cart needs to be brought to the patient's room and the nurse will usually start the patient on oxygen, do an EKG, get vital signs, start an IV line, adminster 3 baby aspirin for patient to chew, and will even sometimes start nitro. Depending on where the nurse works, he/she may even be the one to order the cardiac enzyme panel, it may be a standing order for chest pain protocol.
The patient should never be left alone and ideally the RN should stay with the patient along with another nursing team member
such as another RN, LPN or CMA. The RN monitors the patient condition while the other team memeber monitor vitals and performs follow up EKG's. The RN may delegate other tasks to the team member according to training and experience.
This is a basic simplified run through of what we did in our Urgent Care. We would call 911 as soon as that patient presented and would then follow the above guidelines until EMS arrived.
It is also important to try to ascertain if the MI may be due to recreational drugs as they do their own type of damage to the heart.
And always remember- Maintain the airway!
I hope this brief overview helps some!

Answer 2

How about just looking it up online from the American Heart Association?

Answer 3

http://www.answers.com/topic/heart-attac