Myocardial Infarction

• What can cause a myocardial infarction?

  Interrupted blood flow to the heart
• What supplies the heart muscle with blood?

  The coronary arteries

  • This blood contains the OXYGEN needed by heart muscle cells to carry out RESPIRATION
• What happens if a coronary artery becomes completely blocked?

  An area of the heart muscle will be totally cut off from its blood supply - receiving NO OXYGEN

  This causes a myocardial infarction
• How can a coronary artery become completely blocked?

  Eg by a blood clot
• What is a myocardial infarction more commonly know as?

  a heart attack
• What can a heart attack cause?

  Damage & death of the heart muscle
• What do symptoms of a heart attack include?

  Pain in the chest and upper body, shortness of breath and sweating
• What can happen if large areas of the heart are affected?

  Complete heart failure can occur which is often fatal