Question

What happens to the cardiovascular system and associated organs during Acute Coronary Syndrome?

What is happening to the Myocardium during Acute Coronary Syndrome?

Answer 1

Acute coronary syndrome is a group of disorders - ST segment elevated myocardial ischemia, non- ST segment elevated myocardial ischemia and unstable angina.

Along with coronary artery diseases it is grouped under ischemic heart diseases.

In acute coronary syndrome, there occurs ischemic necrosis of myocardium due to inadequate or impaired blood supply as a result of blockage of blood vessels. The blockage or obstruction of blood vessels is caused due to either rupture of atheromatous plaque, or formation of thrombus. Due to this obstruction, blood vessel lumen is narrowed and eventually results into inadequate blood supply to the myocardial tissue.

As a result of this ischemic necrosis, various changes occurs in the heart which results into tissue damage, sympathetic activation, vagal activation and impaired myocardial contractility due to which patient presents with pallor, tachycardia, fever, chest pain radiating to the shoulder , arms and neck classical of MI , sweating, reduced urine output, cold peripheries, vomiting bradycardia etc.