Question

An ischemic injury to the heart that destroys myocardial cells is a. angina pectoris. b. a myocardial infarction. c. fibrillation. d. heart block.

Short answer

b. a myocardial infarction.

Step-by-step solution

Define the given terms

a. Angina pectoris: Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen-rich blood due to narrowed coronary arteries. b. Myocardial infarction: A myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood flow to the heart muscle is either partially or completely blocked, leading to damage or death of heart muscle cells (myocardial cells). c. Fibrillation: Fibrillation is a rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized contraction of the heart muscle. It can be life-threatening if it involves the heart's ventricular chambers. d. Heart block: Heart block is a condition in which the electrical signals that control the heartbeat cannot pass through the heart properly. This may cause the heart to beat too slowly, stop temporarily, or beat irregularly.

Analyze the described injury

The exercise describes an ischemic injury to the heart that destroys myocardial cells. Ischemic injuries occur when there is a lack of oxygen and blood supply to an area, in this case, the heart. Destruction of myocardial cells is a consequence of insufficient blood flow and oxygen.

Choose the correct term based on the injury description

Based on the definitions, we can see that: - Angina pectoris refers to chest pain without actual destruction of myocardial cells - Fibrillation is an issue related to irregular contractions of the heart muscle - Heart block is a problem with the electrical signals within the heart Out of the given options, a myocardial infarction (b) best describes the situation where an ischemic injury occurs, and myocardial cells are destroyed due to a lack of oxygen and blood supply. So the correct answer is: b. a myocardial infarction.