Heart Attack Treatment
Medical Authors and Editors: Dennis Lee, MD and
Daniel
Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Revising Medical Editor: Jay Marks, MD
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction) is the death of heart
muscle from the sudden blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot. Coronary
arteries are blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood and oxygen.
Blockage of a coronary artery deprives the heart muscle of blood and oxygen,
causing injury to the heart muscle. Injury to the heart muscle causes chest pain
and pressure. If blood flow is not restored within 20 to 40 minutes,
irreversible death of the heart muscle will begin to occur. Muscle continues to
die for six to eight hours at which time the heart attack usually is "complete." The
dead heart muscle is replaced by scar tissue.
Approximately one million Americans suffer a heart attack each year. Four
hundred thousand of them die as a result of their heart attack.
Click here
to view interactive photos of hearts that have suffered a heart attack.
How is a heart attack treated?
Treatment of heart attacks include:
- Anti-platelet medications to prevent formation of
blood clots in the arteries
- Anti-coagulant medications to prevent growth of
blood clots in the arteries
- Coronary angiography with either percutaneous transluminal coronary
angioplasty (PTCA)
with or without stenting to open blocked coronary arteries
- Clot-dissolving medications to open blocked arteries
- Supplemental oxygen to increase the supply of oxygen
to the heart's muscle
- Medications to decrease the need for oxygen by the
heart's muscle
- Medications to prevent abnormal heart rhythms
The primary goal of treatment is to quickly open the blocked artery and
restore blood flow to the heart muscle, a process called reperfusion. Once the
artery is open, damage to heart muscle ceases, and the patient becomes pain
free. By minimizing the extent of heart muscle damage, early reperfusion
preserves the pumping function of the heart. Optimal benefit is obtained if
reperfusion can be established within the first four to six hours of a heart attack. Delay
in establishing reperfusion can result in more widespread damage to heart muscle
and a greater reduction in the ability of the heart to pump blood. Patients with
hearts that are unable to pump sufficient blood develop heart failure, decreased
ability to exercise, and abnormal heart rhythms. Thus, the amount of healthy
heart muscle remaining after a heart attack is the most important determinant of
the future quality of life and longevity.
Next: Anti-platelet agents »
- ACE Inhibitors - Read about ACE inhibitors like Altace, lisinopril, enalapril, ramparil, Zestril and more. Information includes side effects, drug interactions, and pregnancy safety information.
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft - Read about heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft surgery, CABG) including how coronary artery disease is diagnosed, treated, recovery time, risks and complications, and the long term results after CABG.
- Congestive Heart Failure - Read about congestive heart failure symptoms like fatigue, abdomen, leg and ankle swelling, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, increased urination, nausea, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite.
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