Related Experiment Videos
[Preinfarct and prehospital care of myocardial infarction]
Insights
Rapid prehospital diagnosis and treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) significantly improve survival rates. Early intervention during the premonitory stage offers opportunities for infarction prophylaxis and better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Emergency Medicine
Context:
- Intensive therapy units and coronary care wards have reduced acute myocardial infarction (MI) lethality by approximately 50%.
- Favorable outcomes are contingent upon rapid prehospital diagnosis and initiation of adequate measures.
Purpose:
- To highlight the critical role of prehospital care in managing acute myocardial infarction (MI).
- To outline essential prehospital measures including prompt home visits, hospitalization, pain management, and immediate treatment of complications.
- To emphasize the significance of recognizing and treating the premonitory stage of MI for potential prophylaxis.
Summary:
- Prehospital care is crucial for improving survival rates in acute myocardial infarction (MI).
- Key interventions include rapid assessment, pain relief, complication management (arrhythmias, shock, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest), and rhythm disturbance prevention.
- Recognizing prodromal symptoms like worsening angina, reduced response to nitrates, and ECG changes can enable early intervention and prophylaxis.
Impact:
- Effective prehospital care and timely intervention can significantly reduce mortality associated with acute myocardial infarction (MI).
- Identifying and treating the premonitory stage of MI may lead to the development of concrete infarction prophylaxis strategies.
- Prompt management of complications and arrhythmias during the prehospital phase is vital for patient survival and recovery.
Abstract:
In intensive therapy units, especially in guarded wards for coronary diseases, the lethality in acute myocardial infarction could be reduced by ca. 50%. However, these favourable results are nowadays of importance for the patients concerned only then, when the diagnosis myocardial infarction or the tentative diagnosis infarction are made in a short period and already prehospitally adequate measures are begun. The following measures are in the centre of prehospital care: Immediate home visit when a suspicion of infarction is present, immediate hospitalisation into an in-patient facility, alleviation of pain, immediate treatment of complications (disturbances of cardiac rhythm, shock, pulmonary oedema, cardiac arrest), prevention of disturbances of the cardiac rhythm. According to the modern knowledge is to be assumed that about 50% of the patients with infarction undergo a premonitory stage which lasts for hours, days or weeks. It is possible that here develop concrete approaches to an infarction prophylaxis. In the first place there are an increase of frequency, intensity and duration of the attacks of angina pectoris, insufficient responsiveness to nitrangin, provocation of the attacks by slight causes and changes of the ECG as they are typical for the inner layer and outer layer ischaemia and the so-called rudimentary infarction. The treatment of the preinfarction process should immediately be begun, at best under clinical conditions.