What is thrombosis in mi
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"myocardial infarction"[MeSH Terms] AND thrombosis
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myocardial infarction coronary thrombosis explanation site:heart.org
In myocardial infarction (MI), thrombosis means a blood clot forms inside a coronary artery, the blood vessel that supplies the heart muscle.
Usually, an atherosclerotic plaque in the artery ruptures or erodes. Platelets then stick to the damaged area and a clot develops. The clot can partly or completely block blood flow, starving the downstream heart muscle of oxygen. If prolonged, that muscle becomes injured and dies: this is a heart attack. The American Heart Association explanation calls this coronary thrombosis.
- Complete, sudden blockage often causes STEMI.
- Partial or intermittent blockage may cause NSTEMI or unstable angina.
- Common treatment aims to restore flow quickly and prevent the clot from growing, using antiplatelet medicines, anticoagulants, and often angioplasty/stenting.
New chest pressure or pain, breathlessness, sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw, or back needs urgent emergency assessment.
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