Myocardial infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a serious, sudden heart condition usually characterized by varying degrees of chest pain or discomfort, weakness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and arrhythmias, sometimes causing loss of consciousness. It occurs when a part of the heart muscle is injured, and this part may die because of sudden total interruption of blood flow to the area. It is often a life-threatening medical emergency which demands both immediate attention and activation of the emergency medical services.

Symptoms

Acute myocardial infarction is usually characterized by varying degrees of chest pain or discomfort, weakness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and arrhythmias, sometimes causing loss of consciousness. Chest pain is the most common symptom of acute myocardial infarction and it is often described as tightness, pressure, or squeezing. Pain may radiate to the jaw, neck, arms, back, and epigastrium, most often to the left arm or neck. Chest pain is more likely caused by myocardial infarction when it lasts for more than 30 minutes. Approximately one quarter of all myocardial infarction are silent, without chest pain or other symptoms. This happens more often in elderly patients and patients with diabetes mellitus. They may complain though of atypical symptoms like fatigue, syncope, or weakness. Approximately half of all MI patients have experienced warning symptoms like angina pectoris prior to the infarct.

Related Topics:
Chest pain - Nausea - Vomiting - Jaw - Neck - Arm - Epigastrium - Elderly - Diabetes mellitus - Fatigue - Syncope - Warning symptom - Angina pectoris

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