Chapters Archive – Page 20 of 22 – The Cardiovascular

Figure 1. Acute myocardial infarction is usually initiated by rupture or erosion of a vulnerable (unstable) atherosclerotic coronary plaque.

Diagnostic Criteria for Acute Myocardial Infarction: Cardiac troponins, ECG & Symptoms

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Figure 1. Myocardial cells require continues oxygen supply in order to maintain normal metabolism. If oxygen supply is less than oxygen demand, ischemia developes. Myocardial cells can switch to anaerobic metabolism and discontinue contractions in order to alleviate the ischemia. This enables the cell to endure up to 30 minutes of severe ischemia. If blood flow is not restored before 30 minutes, the cell will die. Death of myocardial cells is referred to as myocardial infarction.

Myocardial Ischemia & infarction: Cellular changes, ECG and symptoms

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Figure 1. Flow-chart showing the natural course of coronary artery disease and classification of acute coronary syndromes into STEMI, NSTEMI and unstable angina using ECG criteria.

Classification of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) & Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)

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Figure 1. Atherosclerotic plaque which has ruptured and lead to atherothrombosis.

Introduction to Coronary Artery Disease (Ischemic Heart Disease)

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Figure 1. Overview of tachyarrhythmia (tachycardia).

Diagnosis and management of supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias: Narrow complex tachycardia & wide complex tachycardia

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Pacemaker-mediated tachycardia (PMT): ECG and management

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Figure 1. Ventricular fibrillation and asystole.

Ventricular fibrillation, pulseless electrical activity and sudden cardiac arrest

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ECG showing an episode of sinus rhythm (with multiple ventricular premature beats) spontaneously converting to Torsade de Pointes ventricular tachycardia. Notice how arterial blood pressure (ABP) drops at the onset of TdP. ECG by Nakstad et al (Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2010; 18: 7)

Long QT (QTc) interval, long QT syndrome (LQTS) & torsades de pointes

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Ventricular tachycardia (VT): ECG criteria, causes, classification, treatment

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Figure 1. Ventricular rhythm.

Ventricular rhythm and accelerated ventricular rhythm (idioventricular rhythm)

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