Anatomy and Physiology-Myocardial Infarction

Introduction

Myocardial infarction also is known as a heart attack refers to the life-threatening health condition which is caused by the disruption of blood flow to the heart muscle which results in the damage of the tissue. The blockage of the coronary arteries is the leading cause of myocardial infarction which is usually caused by the buildup of fat and cellular waste in the arteries. People suffering from myocardial infarction experience severe chest pain and breath shortness but the symptoms can vary from one patient to another. The death of the heart muscle tissue during heart attacks is irreversible due to a prolonged shortage of oxygen supply to the heart muscle. The damaged tissues reduce the tension generation during ventricular systolic and diastolic function which can result in sudden death of the victim (Pasotti, Prati, & Arbustini, 2006). This paper will assess the anatomy and physiology aspects of myocardial infarction and establish the prevention and treatment approaches for the heart condition.

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Description of Pathology

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is best understood as a sudden blockage of the coronary artery that is responsible for supplying the heart muscles with oxygen to enable the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. The blockage of the coronary artery is medically known as artery occlusion, and it is usually fatal although some victims can survive. Death after a heart attack usually occurs if the blockage leads to an abnormal heartbeat or destruction of the muscle which means that the heart can no longer perform its function (Pasotti et al., 2006). The diagnosis of myocardial infarction is through the assessment of the coagulative necrosis in the myocardium as well as the potential of the damage repair. Coronary atherosclerotic plaques cause a high number of myocardial infarction cases while in exceptional instances, myocardial bridges, coronary spasm, drug-induced, and the coronary emboli cause the heart condition. Myocardial infarction results in the heart rupture, pulmonary edema, sudden death, cardiogenic shock, pulmonary hemorrhage, and mitral regurgitation. The pathology of myocardial infarction is used in sensitive diagnostic markers regarding prevalence and changes in non-reperfused and reperfused heart attacks (Pasotti et al., 2006).

Body Systems Involved

The circulatory system and the cardiovascular systems of the body are primarily involved in myocardial infarction. The coronary arteries are part of the circulatory system and supply the heart muscles with oxygen to enable them to contract which results in the systolic and the diastolic functions of the heart. In this case, when the coronary artery is blocked the blood does not reach the heart muscles which results in the irresistible death of the tissue in the affected areas (Pasotti et al., 2006). The heart can fail its functions altogether if the oxygen deprivation of the heart muscles is prolonged.

Normal Anatomy and Physiology of the Major Body System Affected

The system affected by the heart attack is the heart and the cardiovascular system which is made of the heart, blood vessels, and the blood. The heart responsibility is pumping oxygenated blood to the rest organs and body tissues through the blood vessels. The blood contains oxygen and nutrients that are needed for the proper functioning of the body and also it is responsible for carrying waste products that are not required in the body to be removed. The coronary artery of the heart provides blood and nutrients to the cardiac muscles that are responsible for the contraction and the constriction of the heart which results in the pumping of the blood to rest of the body parts (Pasotti et al., 2006). A heart attack affects the three major systems which result in death especially if the blockage in prolonged and the heart tissues affected makes it impossible to function further. The normal physiology of the heart and the cardiovascular systems affected directly in the occasion of myocardial infarction is to pump blood which has oxygen and nutrients to other body organs which ensures normal functioning human body systems (Pasotti et al., 2006). The cardiac muscles ensure that the body is pumped from the left ventricle to the aorta after which the blood nourishes all other body tissues and systems.

Mechanism of Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of the heart attack is inhibited oxygenated blood flow to the organs and the body tissues. Pathophysiology is concerned with the disorder in physiological processes which is caused by a health condition such as myocardial infarction. The pathophysiology of myocardial infarction is the failure of the coronary arteries to deliver blood to the cardiac muscles which lead to the failure of the heart to function normally (Pasotti et al., 2006). In extreme cases where the blood flow to the cardiac muscles is cut for a long time, and the patient is not able to rich to the hospital in time death is certain.

Prevention

Myocardial infarction can be prevented by preventing coronary artery blockage which is the primary cause of the condition. A change in lifestyle can significantly prevent reoccurrence or occurrence of myocardial infarction. People at risk of myocardial infarction are advised to cease smoking and using alcohol, to engage in physical activities, and to control weight gain. People should avoid high cholesterol diets because cholesterol has been known to cause artery blockage which increases the possibility of a heart attack. In secondary cases, myocardial infarction can be prevented by controlling blood pressure and the cholesterol in the serum of the patients who survived an acute myocardial infarction. The administration of beta blockers and aspirin have also been proved to reduce the occurrence of myocardial infarction (Mendis et al., 2005).

Treatment

The goal of healthcare providers when they are faced with a patient who has suffered a myocardial infarction is the management of the condition and rapid diagnosis. The initial therapy of a myocardial infarction patient is the restoration of perfusion to be able to salvage the myocardium affected. Percutaneous coronary intervention or the coronary artery bypass graft surgery can be used to restore perfusion (Task Force Members et al., 2012).

Clinical Relevance

This study shows that myocardial infarction is a fatal condition that can be managed if the patient can get to the hospital in time. Myocardial infarction is sudden and occurs without warning and can only be managed primarily to those that are at risk of a secondary heart attack. The affected body systems by myocardial infarction are the heart and the cardiovascular system. Regular exercising, ceasing smoking and avoiding food with cholesterol can prevent the cases of myocardial infarction.

References

Authors/Task Force Members, Steg, P. G., James, S. K., Atar, D., Badano, L. P., Lundqvist, C. B., ... & Fernandez-Aviles, F. (2012). ESC Guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation: The Task Force on the management of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). European heart journal, 33(20), 2569-2619.

Mendis, S., Abegunde, D., Yusuf, S., Ebrahim, S., Shaper, G., Ghannem, H., & Shengelia, B. (2005). WHO study on Prevention of REcurrences of Myocardial Infarction and StrokE (WHO-PREMISE). Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 83, 820-829.

Pasotti, M., Prati, F., & Arbustini, E. (2006). The pathology of myocardial infarction in the pre-and post-interventional era. Heart, 92(11), 1552-1556.