…veins of the legs or pelvis. Thrombi formed in the deep veins in the legs or pelvis can detach and flow via inferior vena cava…

…on circulating thrombotic and fibrinolytic factors. Plaque erosion Plaque erosion is increasingly recognized and is present in at least one third of acute coronary syndromes…

…events in the setting of a stent thrombosis or restenosis. Type 1 myocardial infarction Definition and pathophysiology Type 1 MI results from acute coronary atherothrombosis…

…smooth muscle cell dysfunction, and dysregulation of sympathetic innervation), coronary embolism, and spontaneous coronary artery dissection with or without intramural haematoma. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection…

…heart failure Acute pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, or deep vein thrombosis Acute myocarditis or pericarditis Acute aortic dissection Physical disability that precludes safe and adequate…

…Definition and clinical concept Myocardial infarction with non obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) describes a clinical presentation in which the patient has symptoms suggestive of acute…

…underlying process usually involves acute thrombotic obstruction of an epicardial coronary artery. A vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque and thrombogenic blood interact to initiate and extend thrombosis…

…risk of circulatory collapse. Decompensated heart failure – due to the risk of circulatory collapse and arrhythmias Pulmonary embolism in acute phase – due to risk of…

…Thrombolysis in stroke has its own thresholds in the patient on anticoagulants; see the acute stroke quick reference. Stopping the drug and forgetting to restart…

…Decompensated heart failure. Acute pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. Acute myocarditis, pericarditis or endocarditis. Acute aortic dissection. Physical inability to perform the test safely…

…rise and/or fall in cardiac troponin with at least one value above the 99th percentile upper reference limit; and Clinical evidence of acute myocardial…

Clinical medicine Emergency medicine Definition and pathophysiology Acute limb ischaemia (ALI) is an abrupt reduction in arterial perfusion of an upper or lower limb that…

…small vessels, multivessel disease, bifurcation lesions, treatment of acute myocardial infarction Procedural and mechanical Stent underexpansion, incomplete wall apposition, residual inflow or outflow disease, edge…

…and epigastrium, combined with patient denial, often leads to a mistaken impression of indigestion. STEMI pain can simulate pain from acute pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, acute…

…on the vascular territory involved and may include systemic arterial embolic manifestations. The source material does not provide a detailed catalogue of specific embolic syndromes…

…embolization of atheromatous and thrombotic material. Plaque or thrombus may be dislodged by: Balloon inflation Atherectomy Stent implantation Manipulation of friable SVG lesions Embolic debris…

…medicine Definition and pathophysiology Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is classified according to haemodynamic status, clinical severity, evidence of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, and myocardial injury…

…microvascular disease and vasospasm may coexist with atherosclerosis or may be the dominant cause of ischaemia. Other mechanisms capable of obstructing coronary arteries include embolism…

…embolism, pneumothorax and acute coronary syndrome must be actively considered [1]. Do the following early: 1. Assess airway, work of breathing, level of consciousness and…

…SOURCES OF CARDIAC EMBOLI AND EMBOLIC POTENTIAL HIGH EMBOLIC POTENTIAL Atrial arrhythmias — especially atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. Ischemic heart disease Both acute and chronic…

…the diagnosis of HF Estimating disease severity and prognosis Contributing to longitudinal assessment and risk stratification They are useful in both acute and ambulatory presentations…

…or pulseless VT (i.e. shockable), and the probability of survival is higher (since these arrhythmias can be defibrillated). Likewise, the later the ECG is…

…e. septal bulging ). Bedside echocardiography allows for immediate recognition of tamponade. Typically, acute tamponade arises from aortic dissection, and survival among such patients is, unfortunately…

…thoracic surgery, acute myocardial infarction, pericarditis/myocarditis or pulmonary embolism is often a reversible arrhythmia with low risk of recurrence. Atrial fibrillation in other circumstances…

…and the suitability of the proposed anticoagulant dose. Whether concomitant antiplatelet therapy is genuinely indicated. The strongest established predictors of ischaemic stroke and systemic embolism…

…due to the swinging back and forth of the heart in the pericardial space. Note that tachycardia, pulmonary embolism and ischemia may also cause electrical…

…under acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Aortic dissection Pneumothorax Pulmonary embolism Mediastinitis (rare condition) In addition to these five conditions, there are numerous other causes of…

…and subsequent investigations. The emergency differential also reflects distinct mechanisms of acute cardiopulmonary disease: Pulmonary embolism and spontaneous pneumothorax may produce abrupt chest pain and…

…and recent studies is due to the dramatic decrease in the incidence of acute coronary syndromes over the past decades. Furthermore, early revascularization in acute…

…present [5]. Distinguishing Features: Pleuritic pain suggests pulmonary infarction, and a history of pain exacerbation with inspiration, along with a pleural friction rub, helps differentiate…

…right axis deviation (RAD) and left axis deviation (LAD) Causes of right axis deviation Normal in newborns. Right ventricular hypertrophy. Acute cor pulmonale (pulmonary embolism)…

…right axis deviation (RAD) and left axis deviation (LAD) Causes of right axis deviation Normal in newborns. Right ventricular hypertrophy. Acute cor pulmonale (pulmonary embolism)…

…serious arrhythmia or acute heart failure. Routine opening of a persistently occluded infarct related artery in a stable and asymptomatic patient is by contrast not…

…Definition and staging according to KDIGO Acute kidney injury is present when at least one of the following criteria is met [1]: A rise in…

…work of breathing, level of consciousness and PEF improve at the same time. Acute severe asthma is characterised by bronchospasm, mucosal oedema and mucus plugging…

…thrombolysis as soon as haemorrhage and contraindications have been excluded. CT angiography or transport planning must not delay treatment unnecessarily. 10. In unknown time of…

…present, neurological examination, gait and truncal stability Acute balance syndrome Acute persistent unsteadiness or ataxia without clear spontaneous nystagmus Cerebellar or brainstem infarction, intoxication, Wernicke…

…Pathophysiology Acute aortic syndromes comprise classic aortic dissection, intramural haematoma (IMH), and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU). Aortic dissection accounts for approximately 80%–90% of acute…

…Types 2–5 MI have other mechanisms of myocardial ischaemia and necrosis. Unstable angina (UA) represents myocardial ischaemia without demonstrable acute cardiomyocyte injury or necrosis…

Myocardial ischemia and infarction ECG Posterior (posterolateral) acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) The heart is rotated 30° to the left in the thorax. This positions the…

…50 mg of oral morphine per day. Patches have no place in acute, unstable pain: the onset takes 12 to 24 hours and the offset…

…to prevent or treat acute and subacute ventricular arrhythmias. The Singh Vaughan Williams classification fails to clarify that the majority of these agents exert effects…

Adapted from AHA, ACC and ESC guidelines.

…many cases, the renal injury probably represents acute tubular necrosis arising from the combined effects of contrast exposure and other ischaemic or nephrotoxic stresses. The…

ECG Introduction The traditional classification of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) into ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non STEMI (NSTEMI), and unstable angina (UA) has…

…a classification of acute coronary syndromes and myocardial infarctions. The reader should study this chart carefully. Figure 1. Flowchart showing the natural course of coronary…

…and infarction. Symptoms – Patients with acute myocardial infarction may present with typical ischemic chest pain, or with dyspnea, nausea, unexplained weakness, or a combination of…

…the concurrent use of beta blockers. The vasodilating effect reduces preload and afterload, further reducing myocardial workload. Levosimendan is used in severe acute or chronic…

…to thrombin generation and fibrin deposition, culminating in a partially or fully occlusive intraluminal thrombus [5] . ACS Classification The clinical spectrum of Acute Coronary Syndromes…

…These ST segment depressions are mirror images of the ST segment elevations, and they are seen in leads with a roughly opposite angle to the…

…growth factor. Episodes of headache, palpitations, sweating and pallor that may suggest phaeochromocytoma. Systemic sclerosis, kidney disease, autoimmune disease or previous thrombotic microangiopathy. Antidepressants can…

…suspicion of posterior acute myocardial infarction (e.g due to reciprocal ST segment depressions in V1, V2, V3). IIa B In patients with inferior myocardial…

…haemodynamically unstable patients, evaluation must also consider acute severe mitral regurgitation, mechanical complications, and ischaemia related ventricular failure as potential causes of shock. Patients with…

…to the prevention of platelet mediated coronary thrombosis after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Aspirin irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase and thereby suppresses…

ECG Myocardial ischemia and infarction Use of ECG in acute coronary syndromes & chest pain patients An ECG must be performed on all patients seeking medical…

…and STE ACS (STEMI) is slightly simplified. In reality, the course in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is modified by several factors. The most important of…

…arise when facing a patient with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and symptoms of ischemia follows: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) can mimic acute STEMI …

…et al, Twerenbold et al) Kinetics Troponin T (cTnT) and troponin I (cTnI) increase 2 3 hours after the onset of acute myocardial infarction. The…

…the efficacy of diuretics and antihypertensives. Risk of acute kidney injury increases when combined with ACE inhibitors. Corticosteroids and other NSAIDs: Increased risk of gastrointestinal…