About Myocardial Infarction

Signs and symptoms:

Patients with typical myocardial infarction may have the following prodromal symptoms in the days preceding the event (although typical STEMI may occur suddenly, without warning):

• Fatigue
• Chest discomfort
• Malaise

Diagnosis:

Laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction include the following:

• Cardiac biomarkers/enzymes
• Troponin levels
• Creatine kinase (CK) levels
• Myoglobin levels
• Complete blood count
• Chemistry profile
• Lipid profile
• C-reactive protein and other inflammation markers

Management:

For patients with chest pain, prehospital care includes the following:

• Intravenous access, supplemental oxygen, pulse oximetry
• Immediate administration of aspirin en route
• Nitroglycerin for active chest pain, given sublingually or by spray
• Telemetry and prehospital ECG.