Race against myocardial infarction, every second counts! Remember these two "120"

Expert of this article: Zuo Xiuhai, attending physician of the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Huimin County People's Hospital, Shandong Province

This article was reviewed by Zhang Mingzhi, a postdoctoral fellow at the Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

When life is going smoothly, unexpected events always break the peace and catch people off guard. Sudden acute illness is one of them. In the race against death, every minute and every second is very precious. Missing the "golden time" for treatment and implementing incorrect treatment methods may cause serious consequences.

Today (November 20) is "China 1120 Myocardial Infarction Treatment Day". In recent years, the number of myocardial infarction cases in my country has increased significantly, with at least 500,000 new cases each year and more than 2 million current patients. If acute myocardial infarction is not treated in time, sudden death is likely to occur.

"1120" contains two important meanings: grasp the "golden time" for treatment and understand the correct treatment methods. I hope everyone can remember it.

What is acute myocardial infarction?

Acute myocardial infarction is the most serious type of coronary heart disease. It is an acute disease in which the atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary artery lumen rupture and bleed on the basis of coronary artery atherosclerosis, leading to thrombosis, continuous and complete blockage of the lumen, and causing myocardial ischemia and necrosis.

What are the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction?

The main symptom of acute myocardial infarction is angina pectoris, which is the sudden onset of chest pain or the sudden aggravation of existing angina pectoris.

The pain is mainly concentrated behind the sternum and in front of the heart, in a palm-sized area, often manifested as squeezing pain, unbearable pain, often accompanied by sweating and a sense of impending death, often radiating to the left shoulder, the inner side of the left arm to the ring finger and little finger, or to the neck, pharynx or mandible. Rest and sublingual nitroglycerin generally cannot relieve the pain.

A small number of patients do not experience pain, but develop critical conditions such as shock or heart failure at the beginning.

What conditions can cause acute myocardial infarction?

The basic cause of acute myocardial infarction is coronary atherosclerosis, on which plaque rupture and thrombosis occur, leading to acute occlusion of one or more blood vessels, which lasts for 20-30 minutes or more, i.e. myocardial infarction occurs.

Common causes of plaque rupture and thrombosis include:

Autonomic nerve excitability: From 6 to 12 in the morning, the sympathetic nerve activity increases, the body's stress response is enhanced, and the myocardial contractility, heart rate, blood pressure and coronary tension increase. If you are too tired or emotional at this time, it is easy to cause acute myocardial infarction.

Diet: After eating a full meal or eating a lot of fat, blood lipids will increase and blood viscosity will increase, which can easily lead to coronary thrombosis and induce acute myocardial infarction.

Increased burden on the heart: heavy physical labor, excessive emotional excitement, a sharp rise in blood pressure or straining during bowel movements, etc., will increase the burden on the heart and may also promote blood clot formation.

Reduced coronary blood supply: When you drink less water, sweat and become dehydrated, or suffer from severe arrhythmia, the heart's blood output decreases significantly in a short period of time, and the amount of blood in the coronary arteries decreases sharply, leading to thrombosis and blockage of blood vessels.

What other factors are likely to induce acute myocardial infarction?

Age, gender

The prevalence of atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction in middle-aged and elderly people over 40 years old increases significantly. The incidence rate in women increases rapidly after menopause.

Hyperlipidemia

Abnormal lipid metabolism is the most important risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis, especially elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), which is more dangerous.

hypertension

The probability of hypertensive patients suffering from coronary heart disease increases by 3-4 times, and the probability of acute myocardial infarction is also significantly higher than that of ordinary people.

Smoking

Smoking increases the incidence of atherosclerosis by 2-6 times, and the incidence is directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

diabetes

The probability of myocardial infarction in diabetic patients is several times higher than that in non-diabetic patients.

obesity

Obesity can lead to increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in plasma, and obesity is often accompanied by hypertension and diabetes, which leads to a significant increase in the incidence of coronary atherosclerosis and easily induces myocardial infarction.

Genetic factors

Myocardial infarction has a certain familial heredity.

Keep in mind the two "120"

If someone around you suddenly has an acute myocardial infarction, you should stay calm first. If you have no experience, do not blindly rescue them, otherwise you may end up doing more harm than good. Dial 120 immediately, keep the patient in a comfortable position, comfort the patient, eliminate their tension and anxiety, and wait for rescue.

The "golden time" for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction is the first 120 minutes of the onset of the disease. During this time, if the blocked blood vessels can be opened in time, the myocardium can be reborn. At this time, as the patient's close relatives, you must listen to the doctor's advice and do not hesitate, otherwise you will miss the best time for treatment and regret it.

How to prevent acute myocardial infarction?

1. Patients with a history of underlying coronary heart disease should be careful to avoid fatigue, emotional excitement, and other risk factors that may lead to reduced coronary blood supply and plaque rupture.

2. Eat a light diet and exercise regularly: reduce excessive fat intake, exercise moderately, and avoid hyperlipidemia.

3. Quit smoking and drinking: Quit smoking and drinking to reduce the risk factors that lead to coronary atherosclerosis.

4. Pay attention to the management of blood sugar and blood pressure: Patients with hypertension and diabetes should strictly control their blood pressure and blood sugar according to the doctor's advice to avoid further damage to the already fragile coronary arteries.

5. Lose weight: Combine exercise and a healthy diet to keep your body mass index between 18.5-23.9.

Time is myocardium, time is life.

Acute myocardial infarction is an acute disease that threatens life. Once it occurs, it is crucial to open the blocked blood vessels in the shortest possible time. When you find a patient with acute myocardial infarction, remember the two 120s, which can save lives at critical moments!

The pictures in this article with the "Science Popularization China" watermark are all from the copyright gallery. The pictures are not authorized for reprinting.