Pathophysiology of Myocardial Infarction: Diagnosis and Ethnic Considerations

Introduction

For treatment accuracy, managing patients’ conditions requires understanding the pathophysiological processes behind their symptoms. In the case under consideration, the patient is a 55-year-old man who lost consciousness in the car.

Symptoms

The patient’s symptoms include cough and chest tightness, which turned into chest pain, light-headedness, increased sweating, difficulty breathing, and loss of consciousness. Symptoms correspond to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) that has progressed to myocardial infarction (MI), also called a heart attack (Ojha, N., & Dhamoon, 2023). In addition to the indicated symptoms, elevated troponin levels, CK levels, and ST-segment elevation give a reason to diagnose MI (Hegazy et al., 2022).

Pathophysiologic Processes

The pathophysiologic processes that lead to an MI are complex and involve a combination of cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary factors. Moreover, healthcare providers must also consider the risks and implications associated with the patient’s race and ethnicity, as they are influential in such conditions.

There are several pathophysiological processes that are the foundation for MI development. In particular, the fundamental cause of a heart attack is usually atherosclerosis – plaque, building up on the arteries’ walls and interfering with the usual flow of blood (Hegazy et al., 2022).

Disruptions lead to unstable angina when the heart does not receive enough blood and oxygen (Hegazy et al., 2022). Unstable angina leads to myocardial ischemia, and MI occurs when ischemia is long enough to harm the heart muscle (McCance & Huether, 2018).

After heart muscle damage, the body starts compensatory mechanisms to maintain blood pressure and cardiac output (McCance & Huether, 2018). They may lead to an increased heart rate, contractility, and vasoconstriction, causing a blood pressure increase (McCance & Huether, 2018).

If the running mechanisms do not cope with the problem, the patient’s condition deteriorates, leading to heart failure, pulmonary congestion, and decreased oxygenation (McCance & Huether, 2018). Such pathophysiological processes are essential to the described condition of the patient.

Interactions Between the Cardiovascular and Cardiopulmonary Processes

It is worth noting that there are specific interactions in the highlighted cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary processes. The heart pumps blood into the lungs, getting the oxygen it needs, and then the blood spreads throughout the body (McCance & Huether, 2018). Accordingly, damage in the heart muscle leads to reduced cardiac output, affecting the respiratory system.

Disorders in the blood flow prevent the body from getting oxygen, leading to hypoxemia. Moreover, the impaired ability to pump blood increases pressure in the lung vessels and pushes fluid into the lungs (“Pulmonary edema,” 2022). As a result, the processes in the patient’s body are disturbed, and, as described in the case, he loses consciousness.

Considering Ethnic and Racial Variables in the MI Cases

When dealing with similar cases, the professional should consider ethnic and racial variables. According to Ojha and Dhamoon (2023), MI is more common among non-Hispanic whites. At the same time, different risk factors are more influential for various groups. A study by Hammershaimb et al. (2022) found that smoking and hypertension are the most significant factors for Black patients, smoking – for White patients, and diabetes and obesity – for Hispanic patients. Moreover, Black and Hispanic patients have less adherence to cardiac medications (Hammershaimb et al., 2022). Treatment, which takes into account these differences, will be more effective.

Conclusion

Thus, in this studied case, the specialist encountered MI in the patient. This condition was led by arteriosclerosis and subsequent damage to the heart muscle. Decreased cardiac output, in turn, affected the patient’s lungs and blood pressure, causing a number of the symptoms indicated. Patient treatment requires an understanding of the described pathophysiological processes and their interaction and the influence of ethnic and racial variables.

References

Hammershaimb, B., Goitia, J., Gyurjian, K., Chiu, S., Nadadur, M., Chen, A., & Lee, M. S. (2022). Racial and ethnic differences in risk factors and outcomes in adults with acute myocardial infarction. The Permanente Journal, 26(4), 1-9. Web.

Hegazy, M. A., Mansour, K. S., Alzyat, A. M., Mohammad, M. A., & Hegazy, A. A. (2022). Myocardial infarction: Risk factors, pathophysiology, classification, assessment and management. Cardiology Research and Reports, 4(5), 1-11. Web.

McCance, K. L., & Huether, S. E. (2018). Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (8th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.

Ojha, N., & Dhamoon, A. S. (2023). Myocardial infarction. National Library of Medicine: StatPearls. Web.

Pulmonary edema. (2022). Penn Medicine. Web.

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StudyCorgi. (2024) 'Pathophysiology of Myocardial Infarction: Diagnosis and Ethnic Considerations'. 28 October.

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StudyCorgi. "Pathophysiology of Myocardial Infarction: Diagnosis and Ethnic Considerations." October 28, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/pathophysiology-of-myocardial-infarction-diagnosis-and-ethnic-considerations/.

References

StudyCorgi. 2024. "Pathophysiology of Myocardial Infarction: Diagnosis and Ethnic Considerations." October 28, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/pathophysiology-of-myocardial-infarction-diagnosis-and-ethnic-considerations/.

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