Myocardial Infarction - Research Paper Example

When a portion of myocardium is affected thus, the function of the whole heart is affected resulting in blood supply to other parts of the body like brain and vital organs (Fenton, 2008). This leads to multiorgan dysfunction. Arteries that supply the muscles of the heart are known as coronary arteries. These arise from the aorta and lie on the surface of the heart. There are 2 main coronary arteries, namely the right and left coronary arteries. The right coronary artery supplies the right ventricle and the left one supplies the lower parts of the heart.

Most of the left ventricle is supplied by left anterior descending coronary artery. The circumflex artery supplies the back portion of the left ventricle (Zevit, 2006). Atherosclerosis, which results in coronary artery plagues is the most common cause of myocardial infarction. Other causes of myocardial infarction are respiratory failure, profound anemia, cocaine abuse, carbon monoxide poisoning, anamolous coronary artery and coronary artery vasospasm (Fenton, 2008). Risk factors for myocardial infarction are advanced age, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, male gender, abnormal lipid profile, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, family history of ischemic heart disease and hypertension.

Compensatory mechanisms Physiological response to myocardial infarction include increased heart rate, increased mean arterial pressure, increased respiratory rate and raised serum cortisol levels (Cherrington et al, 2002). Medical treatment The goals of treatment in a patient with myocardial infarction are to restore oxygen supply to the heart, to prevent worsening of ischemia, cause relief of pain and finally to prevent and also manage various complications related to myocardial damage. Treatment of patient diagnosed to have myocardial infarction includes oxygen administration, aspirin, sublingual nitrate, betablockers and pain relief using morphine.

Administration of aspirin in the prehospital phase or even after immediate arrival to the hospital has shown to decrease mortality and chances of reinfarction. Those allergic to aspirin must be administered clopidogrel. Sublingual nitrate decreases preload and also decreases paon. However, this drug must not be administered in right ventricular infarction and hypotension. Betablcokers decrease the heart rate and hence decrease the oxygen demand of the myocardium. Morphine decrease pain and thus demand of oxygen.

Further treatment depends on the type of infarction (Fenton, 2008). In STEMI, immediate reperfusion therapy must be initiated and this includes either percutaneous coronary interventions or thrombolytic therapy. NSTEMI patients must receive antiischemic treatment along with percutaneous coronary interventions. Reperfusion therapy must be started immediately in STEMI patients. Percutaneous coronary interventions are better than thrombolytic therapy (Fenton, 2008). These are done after angiogram.

Adjunctive intravenous heparin therapy is given for maintenance of patency of the arteries (Fenton, 2008). The patient under discussion was given aspirin, heparin, Vitamin E,B and D and protonix. Protonix is proton pump inhibitor and it is give in conjunction with aspirin therapy because of risk of gastrointestinal complications following aspirin therapy. Nursing management Nursing management