During a myocardial infarction (MI), a patient with a 97% occlusion of his left descending artery develops ventricular arrhythmias due to the amount of ischemia occurring in the myocardium. While educating the patient about MIs, the nurse will base her teaching on the fact that
A) permanent damage will occur in the myocardium if the vessel is not opened within a 1- to 2-minute window following the occlusion.
B) treatment needs to be sought immediately so that the buildup of lactic acid is limited and cellular changes can be reversed.
C) once the oxygen supply has been occluded, cellular changes are irreversible even if oxygenation is restored.
D) the body will grow new genes through the process of angiogenesis, thereby avoiding any permanent damage to the myocardium.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ischemia is characterized by impaired oxygen delivery and impaired removal of metabolic end products such as lactic acid. Ischemia commonly affects blood flow through limited numbers of vessels and produces local tissue injury. In some instances, the cellular changes due to ischemia are reversible if oxygenation is restored. If not restored, permanent damage can occur.

During a Myocardial Infarction (MI), a Patient with a 97