Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction: Echocardiographic Changes, Segmental Wall Motion Changes, Complications and Treatment Options. Stress Echocardiography

In this chapter, the topic of diminished blood supply to the heart is discussed. The significance of this chapter is in the fact that the prevalence of this disease is extensive in the general population leading to considerable morbidity and mortality. Simple preventive steps can reduce the incidence of this disease at the individual level. The different causes of chest pain are presented. Myocardial Ischemia (reversible process) and Myocardial Infarction (irreversible process), the evolution of these diseases, the symptoms and signs, the predisposing factors, tests that aid in the diagnostic process, the role of Echocardiogram to localize the segment affected, the complications of the diseases, and the treatment options are the other topics analyzed in this chapter. Also mentioned is the role Stress Echocardiography plays in exposing a latent ischemia, so that corrective steps can be taken and treatment of the causative factors can be administered before the process reaches irreversibility.