Síndrome coronario agudo. Código infarto en urgencias

Abstract

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a set of clinical entities caused by the partial or total obstruction of a coronary artery related, in most cases, to the rupture or erosion of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque that produces acute ischemia and, in the most severe cases, myocardial necrosis. ACS is a potentially fatal pathology that requires early diagnosis and treatment. For this reason, patients with compatible symptoms, fundamentally chest pain, must have an electrocardiogram within the first ten minutes of their arrival to the emergency department or healthcare service. The pillars of treatment include monitoring, antithrombotic treatment and treatment for reducing cardiovascular events, optimization of the supply-demand imbalance in the myocardium, and improvement in perfusion. The latter must be very early in patients with ACS with ST segment elevation, preferentially by means of a primary angioplasty or, if this cannot be performed in the first 120minutes after medical contact, with fibrinolytic agents. Prevention of ACS through a healthy lifestyle, the early identification and treatment of risk factors, and education on the symptoms of a possible ACS are important for reducing the disease burden and improving the results of treatment.