Word parts
What it means
A coronary arteryKOR-uh-nair-ee AR-ter-eeOne of the blood vessels on the surface of the heart that bring oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.Full entry becomes blocked, usually by a clot on a broken plaque, and the heart muscle beyond it is starved of oxygen and begins to die. The classic symptom is chest pain or pressure that may spread to the arm, jaw or back, with sweating, nausea and shortness of breath; women, older adults and people with diabetes often have milder or unusual symptoms. Blood tests (troponin) and the electrocardiogramih-lek-troh-KAR-dee-oh-gramA test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.electr/o electricitycardi/o heart-gram recordFull entry confirm it.
For the nurse
Time is heart muscle. For chest pain, get a 12-lead ECG within 10 minutes, stay with the client, check vital signs and give oxygen, aspirin and nitroglycerin as ordered. Report chest pain that does not go away at once.
In a chart
"Crushing substernal chest pain radiating to left arm; ECG shows ST elevation; cath lab activated."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | MI; STEMI (ST-elevation MI); NSTEMI (non-ST-elevation MI) |
|---|---|
| Everyday words | heart attack |
| Spanish | infarto de miocardio |
| Also written | myocardial infarctions, heart attack, heart attacks |
Related terms
electrocardiogram
A test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.
coronary artery disease
Narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, most often from fatty plaque buildup.
cardi/o
A word part that means heart.
infarction
Death of an area of tissue (an infarct) because its blood supply has been cut off.
ischemia
Too little blood flow to a part of the body, so the tissue does not get enough oxygen.