SILENT MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA

Course overview

SILENT MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA IS A CONDITION OF REDUCED OXYGEN-RICH BLOOD FLOW TO THE HEART THAT OCCURS IN THE ABSENCE OF CHEST DISCOMFORT OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OF ANGINA, E.G., DYSPNEA, NAUSEA, DIAPHORESIS, ETC. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY ST-SEGMENT CHANGES ON EKG, REVERSIBLE REGIONAL WALL MOTION ABNORMALITIES, OR PERFUSION DEFECTS IN SCINTIGRAPHY STUDIES. PATIENTS WITH SILENT MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA NEED AN AGGRESSIVE DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC APPROACH AS THEY HAVE A GREATER CHANCE OF DEVELOPING NEW CORONARY EVENTS THAN THOSE WITH NO SILENT ISCHEMIA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SILENT MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA AND ADDRESSES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.