is the resulting damage or death of the affected muscle that triggers what is referred to as a myocardial infarction or heart attack. The extent of damage depends on whether the blockage affects a smaller branch artery or the main coronary artery (Roberts, 2015) – with the former affecting a smaller area of heart muscle. This particular blockage, according to WebMD (2017), could amongst other things result in heart failure, heart rhythms that are either abnormal or irregular, damage to critical organs like the liver or kidney as a consequence of cardiogenic shock, sudden halting of the heartbeat (cardiac death), etc. In essence, after blood poor in oxygen… Continue Reading...
states of myocardial ischemia including unstable angina, ST-elevated and non-ST elevated MI (myocardial infarction). ACS has been linked to significant mortality and morbidity, significantly burdening the US healthcare system financially. Its diagnosis commences with an in-depth clinical evaluation of presenting patient symptoms, cardiac troponin level, electrocardiogram, and prior medical history examination. Early stratification of risk may help providers ascertain which approach ought to be adopted: initial conservative or early invasive, besides facilitating ascertainment of appropriate pharmacologic treatments (Smith JN, 2015).
ACS’s characteristic symptom include substernal chest pain, described typically as a pressing or crushing feeling, that radiates to the left arm and… Continue Reading...
across coronary arteries. The complete cut- off of blood flow leads to a heart attack (or myocardial infarction, in medical terms). CAD takes place when coronary arteries are partly obstructed or hindered, thus cutting off oxygen supply to heart muscles (i.e., myocardial ischemia). When the blockage is temporary or partial, angina (chest pain or pressure) may occur. The sudden, complete cut- off of blood flow due to the blockage leads to myocardial infarction (Milto, Costello, Davidson & Lerner, 2013).
CAD is a condition that sets it from a rather young age, a fact not many are aware of. Prior to adolescence, the walls of blood vessels… Continue Reading...
chronic conditions such as stroke, heart failure and myocardial infarction (George, et al., 2018). Turagam, et al., (2015)reports an estimated 30-40% prevalence rate of AF among patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
Literature Review
Multiple pharmacological approaches have been developed to prevent postoperative AF (PoAF) including the Metoprolol to post-surgery (Turagam, et al., 2015). Clinical evidence of intervention mechanisms of preventing incidences of PoAF identifies that the approaches have a counteracting effect on PoAF on triggering factors. The underlying mechanisms or preventing PoAF centered around reducing inflammation with steroids, statins, polyunsaturated fatty acids or colchicine; controlling the neurohumoral system through amiodarone,… Continue Reading...
in general. Some of the studies point to direct correlations between heart health and “myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, and wall motion abnormalities,” according to Dimsdale (2008, p. 1237). As research becomes more sophisticated in terms of isolating or pinpointing specific pathophysiological responses and mechanisms, it will become more possible for future researchers to identify either the best pharmacological or psychological treatment interventions that can improve coping mechanisms or reduce the impact that stress has on physiological pathways. The author also differentiates between acute and chronic stress. As Dimsdale (2008) points out, effective coping strategies, genetics, and individual differences can all be mitigating factors that… Continue Reading...
demonstrate the pay-for-performance. The participants get more cash for treating Medicare patients with conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery bypass graft, acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, and hip and knee replacements. On 31st March, 2018, 414 Premier hospitals were allowed to enroll for the project and 267 of these agreed to participate. (Vogenberg & Smart, 2018)
Rosenthal et.al (2005) states the importance of the lessons from the pay-for-performance project.
Legislation and/or policies related to pay-for-performance
The Affordable Care Act outlines a number of strategies to improve health care quality. Not all these are strictly pay-for-performance. An example is the Hospital Re-admissions Reduction Program by Medicare which kicked off on 1st October, 2012. This… Continue Reading...
