Acute Myocardial Infarction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Acute Myocardial Infarction - Essay Example The etiology of the disease is many-sided. Patients at higher risk for AMI include: Obese or morbidly-obese patients Patients with a previous history of one or more AMI's Diabetic patients Patients with depression Patients with a low exercise level Patients with a high total cholesterol, or a high LDL/HDL ratio There are a number of potential causes for AMI. The most prevalent include the following: Vulnerable plaque, which is estimated to occur in 35% of patients. This may have its origin in a general higher level of inflammation in a patient. Some patients encounter vulnerable plaque due to Chlamydia or other infectious causes (Madjid, 2007). Thrombus formation: this may occur due to injury, smoking or excessive drinking, which can tend to create scars in the medial and epithelial layers of the major cardiac arteries. Thrombus formation in other parts of the body, including DVT (deep vein thrombosis) may result in migration to the heart, causing an AMI. Plaque formation: This may occur (as demonstrated above) due to high circulating cholesterol, particularly LDL. Depression: There is some debate whether depression accompanies AMI, or vice versa. Pathophysiology of AMI This list is far from all-inclusive. As an example, patients with diabetes are much more likely to have one or more AMI's (Sulfi, 2007). The etiology is complex, however. Those with diabetes tend to have higher levels of renal insufficiency, thrombus formation and plaque formation. In addition, the general narrowing of arteries in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients tends to make them more vulnerable to thrombus-induced AMI. A similar argument can be made for cigarette... There is clear evidence, which will be covered in this paper, of the positive impact of nursing and patient care interventions post-AMI, and the effect of lowering morbidity and mortality.Vulnerable plaque, which is estimated to occur in 35% of patients. This may have its origin in a general higher level of inflammation in a patient. Some patients encounter vulnerable plaque due to Chlamydia or other infectious causes (Madjid, 2007).Thrombus formation: this may occur due to injury, smoking or excessive drinking, which can tend to create scars in the medial and epithelial layers of the major cardiac arteries. Thrombus formation in other parts of the body, including DVT (deep vein thrombosis) may result in migration to the heart, causing an AMI.This list is far from all-inclusive. As an example, patients with diabetes are much more likely to have one or more AMI's (Sulfi, 2007). The etiology is complex, however. Those with diabetes tend to have higher levels of renal insufficiency, thr ombus formation and plaque formation. In addition, the general narrowing of arteries in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients tends to make them more vulnerable to thrombus-induced AMI.A similar argument can be made for cigarette smokers. Their increased rate of thrombus formation is due to vessel injury, but other effects are co-related. Plaque formation is also elevated amongst smokers, which may result in greater susceptibility to thrombus-induced AMI.