You KNOW they would have stented at ANY sign of a possible problem with him
No doubt about that. However, the ST segment elevation on the EKG is not always 100% clear. It can be "borderline", "possible", etc. It is eyeballed and measured by human beings. Depending on clinical presentation, it may be wise to err on the side of reading the EKG as positive.
Not sure it would be fair to interpret their action as overkill based only on ex post facto findings. A person may have ST segment elevation for other reasons, like coronary artery spasm. In this case, the cath may be negative. Let's see how it sounds once more details come out.
mayoclinic.com
Question
Coronary artery spasm: What is it? What is a coronary artery spasm?
Answer
from Martha Grogan, M.D.
A coronary artery spasm is a brief, temporary tightening (contraction) of the muscles in the artery wall. This can narrow and briefly decrease or even prevent blood flow to part of the heart muscle (myocardium). If the spasm lasts long enough, it can lead to chest pain (angina) and possibly a heart attack (myocardial infarction). These spasms may also be referred to as Prinzmetal angina or variant angina. Unlike typical angina, which usually occurs with exertion, coronary artery spasms often occur at rest.
Coronary artery spasms occur most often in people with risk factors for heart disease, such as tobacco use, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. They may also be associated with other diseases, such as lupus. Coronary artery spasms may be triggered by tobacco use, exposure to cold, extreme emotional stress and use of illicit stimulant drugs, such as amphetamines and cocaine.
Treatment of coronary artery spasms may include medications such as nitrates, calcium channel blockers and 1-arginine, which may reduce the risk of recurrence. You can also reduce your risk by discontinuing tobacco use and controlling high cholesterol and high blood pressure. |
