2. Question #1 –What is the blood test that
indicates heart muscle damage?
• Answer: Cardiac Enzymes
Cardiac enzymes are markers found in the blood.
They are tested when a heart attack is suspected.
3. What are examples of cardiac enzymes?
• Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK)
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)
• Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (GOT)
4. Does everyone have these enzymes?
• It is normal to have low levels of these enzymes in the
blood but if the heart is injured, the enzymes leak out of
damaged heart muscle. Consequently, the levels in the
blood stream are higher.
5. How often should cardiac enzymes be checked?
• Someone experiencing chest pain might have cardiac
enzymes checked 2 or 3 times, usually several hours
apart.
6. Question # 8 What removes varicose veins?
• Answer: ligation and stripping
7. What are varicose veins?
• They are swollen, twisted, and enlarged veins that are
visible under the skin.
• They are usually red or blue in color.
• They mostly appear in the legs.
8. Why do varicose veins appear?
• Valves in the veins usually keep blood flowing up to the
heart but the valves in varicose veins are damaged or
missing. Consequently, the veins become filled with
blood.
9. How is ligation and stripping performed?
• The surgeon makes three cuts in the legs.
• A thin plastic wire is threaded into the vein through a cut
in the groin and guided to a cut further down the leg.
• The wire is tied into the vein and pulled through the
lower cut, the vein is pulled out with the wire.
• The cuts are then stitched up.
• The patient is sent home with bandages and
compression socks.
11. What is thrombolytic therapy?
• Thrombolytic therapy is the use of approved thrombolytic
medications for the immediate treatment of heart attack
and stroke.
• Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) is the most
commonly used drug for thrombolytic therapy.
12. How do thrombolytic medications work?
• Heart attacks are caused when a
blood clot blocks arteries to the
heart. Thrombolytic medications
can quickly dissolve a blood clot.
• Blood flow to the heart can then
be restored and damage to the
heart prevented or minimized.
• Sometimes additional
interventions such as
catheterization or angioplasty may
be needed.
13. How is thrombolytic medication administered?
• The clot dissolving medication can be injected into a
blood vessel.
14. When should thrombolytic medications be
given?
• They should be given within 12 hours after the heart
attack starts and ideally within the first 90 minutes after
arriving to the hospital.
15. References
• Healthline. (2012) Varicose Vein Stripping. Retrieved
from http://www.healthline.com/health
• National Library of Medicine. (2013) Varicose Vein
Stripping. Retrieved from
http://www.hlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
• National Library of Medicine. (2012) Thrombolytic
Therapy. Retrieved from
http://www.hlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
• WebMD (2011) Cardiac Enzyme Studies. Retrieved from
http://www. Webmd.com
