Angina

• Angina:

  • pain in the chest due to stenosis in the coronary artery
  • lumen decreases size by around 70%, causing the demands of oxygen supply to outweigh the supply
  • pain in the chest, bot can also be felt in the arms, tightness of the jaw and upper back
  • may experience dyspnoea - shortness of breath

  
• Classification/Characteristics of Angina:

  • Characteristics of Angina:
  • constricting discomfort in the front of the chest or in the neck, jaw, shoulder or arm
  • precipitated by physical exertion
  • relieved by rest or nitrated within 5 mins
  • classification of angina:
  • typical angina meets 3 characteristics
  • atypical angina meets 2 characteristics
  • non-anginal chest pain meets 1 or 0 characteristics
• Canadian Cardiovascular Society grading of angina severity pt1

  • class 1
  • angina with strenuous exertions
  • presence of angina during strenuous, rapid or prolonged ordinary activity (walking or climbing the stairs)
  • class 2
  • angina with moderate exertion
  • slight limitation of ordinary activities when they are performed rapidly, after meals, in cold, in wind, under emotional stress, or during the first few hours after waking up, but also walking uphill, climbing more than one flight of ordinary stairs at a normal pace and in normal conditions
• Canadian Cardiovascular Society grading of angina severity pt2

  • class 3
  • angina with mild exertion
  • having difficulties walking 1 or 2 blocks, or climbing one flight of stairs, at normal pace and conditions
  • class 4
  • angina at rest
  • no exertion needed to trigger angina