Heart Attack – Types
Depending upon the electrocardiographic (ECG) changes produced by damaged heart muscle it has been divided into two types –
- Q wave infarction – The necrosis of the affected area may involve the whole thickness of the muscle wall (trans mural infarction) due to complete occlusion of the coronary artery. This manifestation as Q wave as an additional finding in ECG is referred to as Q wave infarction.
Non-Q wave infarction – When the arterial occlusion is incomplete or when there is spontaneous lysis (dissolution) of the offending clot, only a part of the whole thickness of muscle wall (subendocardial infarction) become necrosed (or dead). It does not cause Q wave formation in the ECG and is referred to as non Q wave infarction. In such cases the risk of reinfarction (repeated attack) is high