Janice B. Dennis, RN, BC, M-CNS, with Cardiovascular Consultants of St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, explains what is involved in a heart attack and answers the common questions regarding what exactly a heart attack is and how it can be treated. A heart attack (or myocardial infarction) occurs when there is an obstruction of blood flow through a coronary artery. The coronary artery supplies the heart with oxygen rich blood, allowing the heart to function and pump oxygen rich blood to the rest of the body. Coronary artery disease occurs when the inner lining of the artery develops plaque. Plaque can develop quickly and can form an unstable blockage within the artery. If this clog is not removed quickly a portion of the heart muscle can die, limiting the hearts effectiveness. Urgent coronary angioplasty to restore flow of blood is usually the treatment for a heart attack. A patients symptoms and a physical examination are important parts of diagnosing a heart attack. The time of onset of symptoms and the description of the discomfort, including location, quality and severity are important in determining how to treat the heart attack. Tests are done to evaluate the cardiac enzymes and an electric cardiogram is used to determine the severity of the attack. A code STEMI (or ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction) is activated when 100% of the artery is occluded. The emergency team, led by a board certified interventional cardiologist and a STEMI registered nursed, works to …