Circulatory diseases Arteriosclerosis Condition in which cholesterol or other fatty material becomes deposited under the inner lining of arteries. Fatty material (or plaque) builds up over a period of years, primarily due to poor diet. The plaque blocks the flow of blood in the artery, the obstruction can cause damage to platelets, which will then trigger the formation of a blood clot, which may block the blood supply and cause tissue death. If such a clot breaks free and is circulated through the blood it becomes known as an embolism. If this clot reaches the brain it may cause a stroke. Or if this clot reaches the heart, it could cause a heart attack.

ECG

SA and AV Nodes

Clot Busting Drugs Aspirin ~ helps prevent platelets from sticking to one another, and therefore reduces the formation of blood clots. Thrombolytic therapy ~ helps dissolve blood clots  converts a molecule found in blood called plasminogen into plasmin that dissolves the clot

Angioplasty Fig pg 326 Tiny balloon is pushed out from the tip of the tube, forcing the blood vessel to open

Coronary Bypass Fig pg 328 removing a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body and using it to create a new pathway around a blockage Can be double, triple or quadruple!

Coronary Shunt a tube that is used to redirect blood away from the suturing site during bypass surgery