Via practica 5/2007

EPIDEMIOLOGY, DIAGNOSTICS AND MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME WITHOUT PERSISTENT ST-SEGMENT ELEVATIONIN ELECTROCARDIAOGRAPHIC IMAGE (NON-STABLE ANGINA PECTORIS AND MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION WITHOUT ST-ELEVATION)

Acute coronary syndromes are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in almost all countries and are a significant economic burden. Acute coronary syndromes are either without ST-segment elevation or with ST-segment elevation in electrocardiographic image. Recently (in Slovakia and our hospital as well) the greatest percentage of hospitalized patients at acute coronary and intensive care units are patients with acute coronary syndrome with non-stable angina pectoris and/or without ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NAP/NSTEMI). Patients with acute coronary syndrome – NAP/NSTEMI represent a heterogenous group with a different degree of risk of developing myocardial infarction, death, sudden death and that is why the cornerstone for their prognosis and character of treatment is the risk stratification of acute coronary syndrome. General practitioner can be very influential at the beginning of the disease. In this article we present some epidemiological data, classification, pathophysiology , diagnostics and we emphasize the risk statification with acute coronary syndrome – NAP/NSTE together with the basic treatment management.

Keywords: acute coronary syndrome, non-stable angina pectoris, epidemiology, classification, risk stratification.