Frequent complication is myocardial rupture, blood clots, arrhythmia (heart rhythm disorder), heart failure or shock, or pericarditis.
Ruptur Miokardial
The damaged heart muscle will become weak, so that sometimes have a tear because of pressure from the heart pumping action. Two parts of the heart that has often tear during or after a heart attack is heart muscle wall and the muscles that control the opening and closing of one of the heart valves (valves mitralis). If a muscle tear, the valve can not function so that a sudden severe heart failure.
Cardiac muscle in the wall that limits both ventricles (septum) or the outer wall of the heart muscle may also have a tear. A torn septum can sometimes be corrected surgically, but a tear in the outer wall is almost always causes death.
Heart muscle damaged by heart attack will not contract properly, although not experiencing tear. Damaged muscle is replaced by fibrous scar tissue is rigid and can not contract. Sometimes this section will be bulging at the time of contracting. To reduce the extent of areas that do not function this can be given an ACE-inhibitor.
Damaged muscle could form a small protrusion on the heart wall (aneurysm). The existence of the aneurysm can be known from an abnormal EKG, and to reinforce this notion can be performed an echocardiogram. Aneurysms will experience no tear, but can cause irregular heart rhythm and can lead to reduced cardiac pumping ability. The blood flow through the aneurysm will be slower, because it can form clots inside the heart chambers.
Blood Clot
In about 20-60% of people who have had heart attacks, blood clots form inside the heart. In 5% of these patients, the clot may break, flowing in the artery and lodged in smaller blood vessels throughout the body, causing blockage of blood flow to part of the brain (causing stroke) or to other organs. To find a clot in the heart or to know the predisposing factors that are owned by the patient, performed an echocardiogram.
To help prevent blood clot formation, is often given anticoagulants (eg heparin and warfarain). The drug is usually taken for 3-6 months after a heart attack.
