Question

A 60-year-old woman with a history of obesity and Diabetes Mellitus Type II has experienced a myocardial infarction (heart attack) that caused permanent damage to the papillary muscle of the left ventricle, resulting in a failure of the mitral valve to close. Her blood pressure is 95 over 55, and her heart rate is 125 beats per minute. Her breathing is labored and you hear gurgling when you listen through a stethoscope. Her worried son asks you “What is a myocardial infarction, what do her symptoms mean, and what does mitral valve failure imply?” What are some upstream causes, and downstream causes? and what could cause the gurgling?

Answer 1

Myocardial infraction or heart attack occurs when  a portion of heart tissue gets damaged when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, blockage usually occurs in one of the coronary artery which is responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Amount of damage depends upon the size of area which is deprived of oxygen.

Her symptoms of low blood pressure (95 over 55), tachycardia (heart rate of 125 beats per minute), labored breathing and gurgling sound all could be due to mitral valve failure.

Mitral valve failure imlpies that hearts mitral valve ( mitral valve is present between left atrium and left ventricle) dosent close tightly, which allows blood to flow backwards in the heart leading to a condition known as Mitral valve Regurgitation or Mitral insufficiency. In this condition because blood is pumped backwards there is less blood going forward with each heart beat because of which left ventricles becomes bigger and than weakens, leading to heart failure.

In mitral valve regurgitation, because the valve does not close completly or tightly, the blood is made to flow through a narrowed opening or a stiff valve as a result blood flow becomes turbulent leading to gurgling sound.

An heart attack can damage your heart, affecting the function of mitral valve. Cornory heart disease can lead to mitral valve regurgitation. An infection such as Endocarditis or rheumatic feve can lead to this condition. Congenital heart diseases is also a risk factor.

Some of the causes or risk factors of myocardial infraction or heart attack include, genetics, obesity, age, diabetes, life style factors, habits like smoking, etc.