acute coronary syndrome

Simvastatin: Effects, Uses & Risks

Simvastatin is a classic statin and is used as a cholesterol-lowering agent. It was approved in 1990 and is used relatively frequently. What is simvastatin? Simvastatin, chemically (1S,3R,7S,8S,8aR)-8-{2-[(2R,4R)-4-hydroxy-6-oxooxan-2-yl]ethyl}-3,7-dimethyl-1,2,3,7,8,8a-hexahydronaphthalen-1-yl-2,2-dimethylbutanoate, is a drug used primarily as a cholesterol-lowering agent. Simvastatin is structurally derived from the naturally occurring monacolin K, also known as lovastatin. Simvastatin is partially synthetically … Simvastatin: Effects, Uses & Risks

Balloon Dilatation: Treatment, Effects & Risks

Balloon dilatation involves dilating a narrowed section of a vessel with a special balloon catheter. The procedure is used primarily in vascular surgery. What is balloon dilatation? Balloon dilatation is the use of a special balloon catheter to dilate a narrowed section of a blood vessel. The procedure is used primarily in vascular surgery. Balloon … Balloon Dilatation: Treatment, Effects & Risks

Lovastatin: Effects, Uses & Risks

Lovastatin is a drug used to treat elevated cholesterol levels, heart attacks, acute coronary syndrome, and unstable angina. In the human body, it exerts its effects mainly on cholesterol formation and on the liver, which it stimulates to absorb more cholesterol from the blood. What is lovastatin? Lovastatin is a drug from the group of … Lovastatin: Effects, Uses & Risks

Prognosis after myocardial infarction

Cardiac arrhythmias Early complications, which can occur during the first 48 hours after a heart attack, make the immediate post-infarction period the most dangerous for the patient. In 95-100% of cases, cardiac arrhythmias occur after the heart attack, which can range from additional beats of the ventricle to fatal ventricular fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation or a … Prognosis after myocardial infarction

Embolism | Prognosis after myocardial infarction

Embolism Embolisms, i.e. blood clots (thrombi) carried in the bloodstream, can enter the arterial vascular system after a heart attack and lead to a stroke, for example, by closing a vessel in the brain. The risk of developing thrombi in the heart is particularly increased when rhythm disturbances occur during a heart attack and coagulation … Embolism | Prognosis after myocardial infarction

Prognosis | Prognosis after myocardial infarction

Prognosis 2/3 of patients with heart attacks die in the prehospitalization phase, i.e. the time before arriving at the hospital, the most common cause of death being ventricular fibrillation. The risk of fatal arrhythmias is highest immediately after the infarction – therefore it is important to provide patients with an efficient therapy as soon as … Prognosis | Prognosis after myocardial infarction

Brain death

English term brain death, cerebral death Definition The term brain death is understood to mean the non-existent and irreversible activity of vital brain areas (cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem) during cardiovascular function still maintained by artificial respiration (Scientific Advisory Council of the German Medical Association, 1997). Brain death in the scientific-medical sense means the death of … Brain death

Criticism of the definition of brain death | Brain death

Criticism of the definition of brain death Particularly after the Erlangen case of Marion P., criticism of the definition of brain death became loud. Marion P. was admitted to Erlangen University Hospital on October 5, 1992 with severe craniocerebral injuries. Three days later the patient was diagnosed with brain death. Since the patient was pregnant, … Criticism of the definition of brain death | Brain death

Diagnosis of a heart attack

Diagnosis heart attack The pillars of myocardial infarction diagnostics consist of the survey: This tripartite diagnostic scheme serves to confirm an existing myocardial infarction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the presence of a myocardial infarction as the case when at least two of the three criteria mentioned above are present in the patient. The … Diagnosis of a heart attack

Diagnosis of a silent heart attack | Diagnosis of a heart attack

Diagnosis of a silent heart attack As with the diagnosis of any illness, the medical history (i.e. the interview with the patient) is the first step in identifying a silent myocardial infarction. The symptoms experienced by the patient, such as dizziness, nausea, sweating and fainting, play a major role in this process. A characteristic feature … Diagnosis of a silent heart attack | Diagnosis of a heart attack

Troponin | Diagnosis of a heart attack

Troponin Troponin is a special enzyme of the heart muscle. When heart muscle cells die or are destroyed, they release their ingredients. Typically, troponin T is determined in the blood when a heart attack is suspected. It can be measured in higher concentrations, especially 3-8 hours after a heart attack. In addition, up to two … Troponin | Diagnosis of a heart attack

Heart catheter | Diagnosis of a heart attack

Heart catheter Left heart catheterization (cardiac catheterization) is the gold standard of imaging techniques in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction, as it allows the exact identification of occluded coronary vessels. This procedure is also called percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA): After puncturing an arterial vessel, a catheter (a kind of thin tube) is advanced to … Heart catheter | Diagnosis of a heart attack