Cardiology Flashcards
Rank these complications in the chronological order (from most immediate to late) that are likely to happen after a myocardial infarction.
A Pericarditis
B Dressler Syndrome
C Myocardial Rupture
D Ventricular Aneurysm
E Ventricular Fibrillation
E – Serious/life threatening arrhythmias (such as ventricular fibrillation) are mostly likely to happen within the first hour after a MI. This is often a cause of sudden death
A – Pericarditis – Transmural MIs can cause fibrinohemorrhagic pericarditis (due to myocardial inflammation) and usually appears 2-3 days after an infarction.
C – Myocardial rupture are caused by the lysis of myocardial connective tissue which reaches maximum stage during day 3-7. This causes the infarcted muscles to become soft, friable granulation tissue.
B – Dressler syndrome specifically refers to pericarditis that occurs from week 2 to months afterwards which is believed to be caused by autoimmune inflammation of the infarct.
D – Ventricular aneurysm is a late complication after a MI (months) caused by the thin wall of the scar tissue of the MI
