Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute Coronary Syndromes consist of two groups, namely unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction.

Unstable angina can be defined as cardiac chest pain that is more frequent, severe or prolonged than the patient's usual angina symptoms. It may occur at rest or with minimal exertion, and may be difficult to control with drugs. Angina of recent onset is also classified as unstable. Non-Q wave myocardial infarction presents similarly to unstable angina, but is accompanied by a rise in cardiac enzyme concentration detectable by blood testing without marked changes on the electrocardiogram. Patients with acute coronary syndromes are at a high risk of major myocardial infarction and death.