What is the myocardial infarction triad?

What is the myocardial infarction triad?

• A. Hypoxia, injury, necrosis
• B. Ischemia, injury, necrosis
• C. Ischemia, injury, inflammation
• D. Hypoxia, ischemia, injury

Answer: (B)

The myocardial infarction triad refers to three critical stages that occur during the pathophysiological process of a heart attack. The correct components of this triad are ischemia, injury, and necrosis.

Ischemia occurs first as a result of reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, often due to an obstructed coronary artery. This lack of blood supply leads to insufficient oxygen delivery to the myocardial cells.

The next phase, injury, happens when the myocardial cells begin to suffer damage due to prolonged ischemia. This stage indicates that the heart muscle is beginning to be affected irreversibly.

Finally, necrosis refers to the death of the myocardial cells as a consequence of sustained ischemia and injury. This is the point at which significant and often permanent damage to the heart muscle occurs, leading to the clinical manifestations of a myocardial infarction.

Understanding this triad is essential for recognizing the progression of myocardial infarction and implementing timely interventions to restore blood flow and minimize heart damage.