Cardiac Care
Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)/Unstable Angina
Myocardial infarction (MI) is the medical term for a heart attack. A MI occurs when there is a clot, or infarct, located in the heart tissue, also called the myocardiam. When the blood flow is restricted as a result of that clot the heart muscle does not receive the necessary oxygen, thus causing pain or angina. Classic symptoms of a myocardial infarction are intense chest pain or pressure, nausea, shortness of breath, increased perspiration and a feeling of impending doom. Often the chest pain may radiate to the left arm, jaw and back. Some patients may faint or experience lung congestion.