Question about MIs

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in telemetry.

This is a ? in my homework & I cannot find the answer.......can anyone help??

Why would an MI in the older client sometimes be less severe than in a person who is say 30-40 years old??

Specializes in telemetry.

oh nevermind, I finally found the answer!!!

Specializes in Acute Dialysis.

When an MI occurs when the myocardium does not receive an adequate amount of oxygen. Most of the time that is caused by blockages in the coronary arteries that diminish or stop blood flow. In an older person those blockages have occurred slowly over the course of time. When the flow is slowly diminished co-lateral circulation usually forms. Much like the slow narrowing of a stream from debris. Smaller streamlets form around the edges. The main stream may block off completely but some flow still continues downstream through the co-lateral streamlets. A younger person doesn't have time to form the co-lateral circulation. A sudden blockage of the main flow damages a larger portion of the myocardium as there are no co-lateral streamlets available. Someone in there 80's having an MI may have less myocardial damage done because of co-lateral circulation then someone in their 30's who doesn't have co-lateral circulation.

When an MI occurs when the myocardium does not receive an adequate amount of oxygen. Most of the time that is caused by blockages in the coronary arteries that diminish or stop blood flow. In an older person those blockages have occurred slowly over the course of time. When the flow is slowly diminished co-lateral circulation usually forms. Much like the slow narrowing of a stream from debris. Smaller streamlets form around the edges. The main stream may block off completely but some flow still continues downstream through the co-lateral streamlets. A younger person doesn't have time to form the co-lateral circulation. A sudden blockage of the main flow damages a larger portion of the myocardium as there are no co-lateral streamlets available. Someone in there 80's having an MI may have less myocardial damage done because of co-lateral circulation then someone in their 30's who doesn't have co-lateral circulation.

Thanks, I didn't know that.. ;)

When an MI occurs when the myocardium does not receive an adequate amount of oxygen. Most of the time that is caused by blockages in the coronary arteries that diminish or stop blood flow. In an older person those blockages have occurred slowly over the course of time. When the flow is slowly diminished co-lateral circulation usually forms. Much like the slow narrowing of a stream from debris. Smaller streamlets form around the edges. The main stream may block off completely but some flow still continues downstream through the co-lateral streamlets. A younger person doesn't have time to form the co-lateral circulation. A sudden blockage of the main flow damages a larger portion of the myocardium as there are no co-lateral streamlets available. Someone in there 80's having an MI may have less myocardial damage done because of co-lateral circulation then someone in their 30's who doesn't have co-lateral circulation.

The other thing we think in the ER if a patient is having symptoms of an MI and is young is methamphetamine abuse.

steph

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