Is an inferior infarct a heart attack?

An inferior myocardial infarction (MI) is a heart attack or cessation of blood flow to the heart muscle that involves the inferior side of the heart. Inferior MI results from the total occlusion of either the right coronary artery in 85% of the cases or the left circumflex in 15% of the cases.

What does an inferior infarct mean?

Excerpt. Inferior wall myocardial infarction (MI) occurs from a coronary artery occlusion with resultant decreased perfusion to that region of the myocardium. Unless there is timely treatment, this results in myocardial ischemia followed by infarction.

Is inferior myocardial infarction serious?

Inferior myocardial infarctions have multiple potential complications and can be fatal. See the review on ST elevation myocardial infarction for more detail on complications of an inferior myocardial infarction and a detailed discussion on treatment.

What leads for inferior infarct?

Inferior STEMI is usually caused by occlusion of the right coronary artery, or less commonly the left circumflex artery, causing infarction of the inferior wall of the heart [6, 7]. Upon ECG analysis, inferior STEMI displays ST-elevation in leads II, III, and aVF.

How is inferior myocardial infarction treated?

Fluid infusion is the mainstay of treatment for patients with RVI. In the case of an inferior MI with right ventricular involvement, the administration of nitroglycerin and morphine could cause an abrupt drop in blood pressure.

How an inferior myocardial infarction can cause heart block?

A high degree heart block, defined as a second or third-degree block, is seen in 19% of patients with acute inferior wall MI. The amount of collateral circulation to the AV impacts the rate of heart blocks.

How is inferior infarction treated?

While heart blocks are a main contributor to morbidity and mortality, most high-degree heart blocks are treatable with atropine. It is seldom necessary to use a temporary pacemaker. The damaged myocardium can lead to potentially lethal arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.

What does possible inferior infarct age undetermined mean on an EKG?

If the finding on an ECG is “septal infarct, age undetermined,” it means that the patient possibly had a heart attack at an undetermined time in the past. A second test is typically taken to confirm the finding, because the results may instead be due to incorrect placement of electrodes on the chest during the exam.

What does anterior infarct mean on ECG?

An anterior wall myocardial infarction occurs when anterior myocardial tissue usually supplied by the left anterior descending coronary artery suffers injury due to lack of blood supply.