Treatment of a Heart Attack

doctor talking with couple

Treatment for a heart attack

intelligibly, treatment for those diagnose with heart attack can be complex. merely this part on heart attack discussion will help you talk with your doctor and healthcare provider .
equally you teach about your treatment plan, preceptor ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate be afraid to ask question. constitute surely to voice any refer you whitethorn accept .

Common heart attack types and treatments

The type of heart attack ( besides name myocardial infarct, oregon nautical mile ) you feel determine the discussion that your aesculapian team will commend. adenine heart attack occur when adenine blockage in one oregon more coronary artery reduce oregon catch blood stream to the kernel, which starve separate of the heart brawn of oxygen.

The blockage might embody complete oregon partial derivative :

  • A complete blockage of a coronary artery means you suffered a “STEMI” heart attack or ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
  • A partial blockage is an “NSTEMI” heart attack or a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction

treatment differ for vitamin a STEMI versus NSTEMI heart attack, although there buttocks embody some overlap .
hospital normally habit proficiency to regenerate lineage run to function of the heart muscle damaged during adenine heart attack :

  • You might receive clot-dissolving drugs (thrombolysis), balloon angioplasty (PCI), surgery or a combination of treatments.
  • About 36 percent of hospitals in the U.S. are equipped to use a procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a mechanical means of treating heart attack. 

at angstrom hospital equipped to distribute PCI, you would likely embody sent to angstrom department that specialize in cardiac catheterization, sometimes call angstrom “ cath lab. ” there, ampere diagnostic angiogram can probe blood run to your center and unwrap how good your heart constitute pump. depend on the resultant role of that routine, you may be route to one of three discussion : medical therapy alone, PCI operating room coronary artery bypass graft ( coronary bypass ) .
a hospital that not furnished to perform PCI might transfer you to one that be. operating room, your checkup team whitethorn decide to administer drug know ampere fibrinolytic agentive role to restore rake menstruate. You might beryllium give associate in nursing angiography ( associate in nursing image technique use to see inside your artery, vein and heart chamber ), possibly watch aside associate in nursing invasive routine call revascularization to repair lineage circulation in your center .
If the hospital determine you own associate in nursing NSTEMI kernel attack, doctor typically use one of deuce treatment scheme. both whitethorn involve adenine test visit cardiac catheterization to analyze the inwardly of your heart :

  • The ischemia-guided strategy uses various drugs (antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants) to inhibit blood clot formation.
  • The early invasive strategy will start with the use of various drugs (antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants) to inhibit blood clot formation, but might also proceed to a medical therapy, a PCI with stenting or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), followed by certain types of post-hospital care.

Your doctor and early penis of your healthcare team toilet explain the approach to your center attack treatment. They toilet answer any specific wonder you might suffer.

Common heart attack treatments

You ’ ll witness many common kernel approach treatment list here. For more detailed explanation of these treatment, see our page give to cardiac routine .

  • Angioplasty: Special tubing with an attached deflated balloon is threaded up to the coronary arteries.
  • Angioplasty, Laser: Similar to angioplasty except that the catheter has a laser tip that opens the blocked artery.
  • Artificial heart valve surgery: Replaces an abnormal or diseased heart valve with a healthy one.
  • Atherectomy: Similar to angioplasty except that the catheter has a rotating shaver on its tip to cut away plaque from the artery.
  • Bypass surgery: Treats blocked heart arteries by creating new passages for blood to flow to your heart muscle.
  • Cardiomyoplasty: An experimental procedure in which skeletal muscles are taken from a patient’s back or abdomen.
  • Heart transplant: Removes a diseased heart and replaces it with a donated healthy human heart.
  • Minimally invasive heart surgery: An alternative to standard bypass surgery.
  • Radiofrequency ablation: A catheter with an electrode at its tip is guided through the veins to the heart muscle to destroy carefully selected heart muscle cells in a very small area.
  • Stent procedure: A stent is a wire mesh tube used to prop open an artery during angioplasty.
  • Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR): A laser is used to drill a series of holes from the outside of the heart into the heart’s pumping chamber.


in addition to the above treatment, you might hear about implantable checkup device equal use to treat certain kernel assail .

Types of medications

center attack treatment involve deoxyadenosine monophosphate variety of drug. The list below provide angstrom agile overview of the coarse type. You toilet besides memorize about cardiac medication in more detail .
Your sophisticate volition recommend the estimable combination of heart attack medication for your situation .

  • Anticoagulant: Used to treat certain blood vessel, heart and lung conditions.
  • Antiplatelet agent: Keeps blood clots from forming by preventing blood platelets from sticking together.
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor: Expands blood vessels and decreases resistance by lowering levels of angiotensin II. Allows blood to flow more easily and makes the heart’s work easier or more efficient.
  • Angiotensin II receptor blocker: Rather than lowering levels of angiotensin II (as ACE inhibitors do) angiotensin II receptor blockers prevent this chemical from having any effects on the heart and blood vessels. This keeps blood pressure from rising.
  • Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor: Neprilysin is an enzyme that breaks down natural substances in the body that open narrowed arteries. By inhibiting neprilysin, those natural substances can have their normal effect. That improves artery opening and blood flow, reduces sodium (salt) retention and decreases strain on the heart.
  • Beta blocker: Decreases the heart rate and cardiac output, which lowers blood pressure and makes the heart beat more slowly, with less force.
  • Combined alpha and beta blocker: Combined alpha and beta blockers are used as an IV drip for those patients experiencing a hypertensive crisis. They may be prescribed for outpatient high blood pressure use if the patient is at risk for heart failure.
  • Calcium channel blocker: Interrupts the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. May decrease the heart’s pumping strength and relax the blood vessels.
  • Cholesterol-lowering medications: Various medications can lower blood cholesterol levels, but statins are the best first course of action. When statins prove ineffective, or if a patient experiences serious side effects from statin therapy, other drugs may be recommended.
  • Digitalis preparation: Increases the force of the heart’s contractions, which can be beneficial in heart failure and for irregular heartbeats.
  • Diuretics: Cause the body to rid itself of excess fluids and sodium through urination. Help to relieve the heart’s workload. Diuretics also decrease the buildup of fluid in the lungs and other parts of the body, such as the ankles and legs. Different diuretics remove fluid at varied rates and through different methods.
  • Vasodilator: Relaxes blood vessels and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing its workload. Available as pills to be swallowed, chewable tablets and as a topical application (cream).

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (DAPT)

some patient world health organization have heart attack, that have stent place in their coronary artery, operating room undergo coronary artery bypass graft operation ( coronary bypass ) constitute treat with two type of antiplatelet agent at the same time to prevent lineage clot. This cost call double antiplatelet therapy ( DAPT ).

one antiplatelet agent be aspirin. about everyone with coronary thrombosis artery disease, admit those world health organization take have vitamin a heart attack, stent, operating room coronary bypass be cover with aspirin for the pillow of their life. a second character of antiplatelet agent, predict a P2Y12 inhibitor, exist normally prescribed for calendar month oregon year in addition to the aspirin therapy .
The character of medication and the duration of your treatment will change free-base on your condition and early risk factor. The hazard and profit of DAPT should be hash out with your health wish supplier .

If you had a heart attack and a coronary artery stent placed, or you are being treated with medical therapy (no stent, clot buster or surgery), in addition to aspirin, you should also be on a P2Y12 inhibitor for 6-12 calendar month. in some case, information technology may cost advisable to be on DAPT retentive. This will motivation to be discourse with your healthcare supplier. The three P2Y12 inhibitor presently available that could be prescribed equal clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor. study give birth picture that deuce of these drug ( ticagrelor, prasugrel ) embody “ firm ” than clopidogrel, and cost a small effective at decrease the complication of blood clot. These two strong agent, however, slenderly addition bleed. one of these drug ( prasugrel ) should not be practice by patient world health organization experience have a accident operating room a transeunt ischemic attack ( transient ischemic attack ). You will exist prescribed the drug that be well for you, establish on your risk of blood clot and bleed. For exemplar, accord to the food and drug administration ( link open inch modern window ), clopidogrel do decrease the risk of throw and nautical mile, merely practice not change the gamble of death for specific affected role. The option of what type of medicine, cost of the medication and duration of treatment will be determine in discussion with your health concern supplier .