MYOCARDIAL STUNNING AND HIBERNATION

Course overview

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE CAN RESULT IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION DEFICITS. THIS HYPOPERFUSION CAN RESULT IN IMPAIRED MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTILITY AND DECREASED LEFT VENTRICULAR FUNCTION. RESTORATION OF MYOCARDIAL FUNCTION IS SOMETIMES ACHIEVABLE VIA PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION OR CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING. IDENTIFICATION OF VIABLE TISSUE THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY REVASCULARIZED IS AN AREA OF ACTIVE RESEARCH. STUNNED MYOCARDIUM IS MYOCARDIUM AFFECTED BY TRANSIENT REVERSIBLE MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTILE DYSFUNCTION INDUCED BY ACUTE ISCHEMIA. THE BLOOD SUPPLY TO STUNNED MYOCARDIUM IS ALMOST COMPLETELY RESTORED UPON REPERFUSION AND THE MYOCARDIUM DOES NOT SUFFER METABOLIC DAMAGE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH STUNNED MYOCARDIUM AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.