Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial Infarction (MI) is also referred to as a heart attack or coronary thrombosis. It is a condition where a part of the heart muscle suddenly loses blood supply. Typically, a heart attack occurs due to a thrombosis (blood clot) formed within a coronary artery. This obstructs normal blood flow to some part of the heart. If left untreated, myocardial infarction can cause damage to the heart. Besides a severe myocardial infarction can be fatal. There is shortness of breath and profuse sweating. It is essential to seek immediate medical help if you feel that you are suffering a myocardial infarction. Sudden overwhelming stress or laborious exertion or physical activity might bring on a myocardial infarction.
A heart attack is felt as a sudden and severe chest pain that may also travel up and down both arms. The pain felt during myocardial infarction lasts longer than that felt during an angina. In rare cases, a person does not feel any noticeable symptoms and is even unaware that he has suffered a heart attack. Smoking, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity puts a person at increased risk of heart attacks. Heart attacks are more noticed in older men and women, though there is an increasing trend for younger persons to suffer heart disease too. Female sex hormones protect women from heart disease till menopause. Heart ailments and coronary heart disease is sometimes genetic.
An ECG (electrocardiograph) can help trace your heart activity and whether you have suffered a heart attack. A Doppler ultrasound helps examine the heart valves, muscles and blood flow. A coronary angiogram is a special x-ray procedure that tests the severity of the blood vessel block with the help of a dye. The presence of certain enzymes like Troponin-I and Creatinine Kinase (CK) are indicative of a heart attack.
Hospital treatment is esential for a person suffering from a MI. The nature of the treatment hinges on the extent of damage of the heart muscle as well as the blockage of the blood vessels. Medication for dissolving the blood clot is administered. The patient is given drugs to reduce the pain and breathe easier. Beta-blocker drugs may be given to reduce the chances of another heart attacks. ACE Inhibitors may be prescribed to prevent heart failure. Balloon angioplasty may be recommended to improve blood flow to the heart.
Platelets
Platelets or thrombocytes are cell fragments found in the blood with an average life span of about 5- 9 days. Typically a healthy adult has about 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per micro liter of blood. Platelets are crucial for the clotting process since they are involved in hemostatis. If the platelet count is too high or low, it can be indicative of some disorders. Abnormally high platelet count can lead to myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or a stroke. Very low platelet count can lead to excessive bleeding. Low platelets can happen due to medications, leukemia, hemolytic anemia or chemotherapy. Abnormally high platelet count can be due to anemia, thrombocythemia or recent spleen removal.
BUN blood test
BUN - Blood Urea Nitrogen blood test indicates the functioning of the kidneys. It is also done to check for efficiency of dialysis. BUN blood test measures the levels of urea nitrogen in the blood. BUN blood test results can be compared with creatinine test to check for dehydration. BUN - creatinine ratio can throw light on kidney functioning. Normal BUN blood levels are 7 - 20 mg/dl. Abnormal levels of BUN are usually indicative of renal failure or bleeding into the stomach or intestines. High levels of BUN in the blood can mean congestive heart failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, urinary tract obstruction or myocardial infarction. Lower levels of BUN in the blood may suggest malnutrition or liver failure. Some women notice decrease in BUN level in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Bibliography / Reference
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