Is an infarct the same as a heart attack?

A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, is a medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly and severely reduced or cut off, causing the muscle to die from lack of oxygen.

What is the most severe type of infarction?

All heart attacks are serious, but one type of is the most dangerous of all and it’s known as a STEMI (ST segment elevation myocardial infarction), or a widowmaker heart attack.

How long can you live after a STEMI?

After adjusting for baseline differences in age, sex, length of stay, comorbidities, hospital clinical complications, and physiologic variables, patients with STEMI were significantly more likely to have survived at 3 months (OR 1.38; 95\% CI 1.01–1.87), 1 year (OR 1.38; 95\% CI 1.09–1.74), and 2 years (OR 1.53; 95\% CI …

Can an infarction be reversed?

The short answer is yes, stroke can be cured — but it occurs in two stages. First, doctors administer specific treatment to restore normal blood flow in the brain. Then, the patient participates in rehabilitation to cure the secondary effects.

What is the criteria for inferior infarct on EKG?

The criteria for inferior infarct are Q waves in the inferior leads of 0.04 sec. or greater. But the computer algorithm accepts any size Q wave. Small q waves are often present normally; so “inferior infarcts” are over diagnosed. If the EKG is read by a trained cardiologist, a more accurate reading is likely.

What does “possible” infarct mean?

The reading of “possible” or “old” infarct is just that, a computer reading. An infarct would indicate “tissue death due to inadequate blood supply to the affected area.”

What is an inferior infarct heart attack?

Infarct is referring to damage (aka heart attack) and inferior refers to the lower or underneath portion of the heart. It’s often associated with blockage to the vessels that are fed by the right coronary artery.

Are inferior infarcts usually over diagnosed with Q waves?

Small q waves are often present normally; so “inferior infarcts” are over diagnosed. Notice the word “possible”. Most likely, the interpretation is from an EKG machine algorithm. As such, there is a good chance that it is normal.