MI: abbreviation of: myocardial infarction
MI: abbreviation of: Manual Issuance
MI: abbreviation of: Medical Insurance (Part B or SMI)
MI: abbreviation of: Myocardial Infarction
More information on medical condition: Heart attack:
MI: Presence of a thrombus in a coronary artery, often causing a myocardial infarction.
Source: Diseases Database
See also the following medical terms:
MI: Another name for Heart attack.
MI (condition): Serious and often fatal acute heart condition
MI (condition): Heart attacks or "acute myocardial infarction" (AMI), are very common and also very deadly. The underlying cause of a heart attack is usually "coronary thrombosis", which is a blockage of the blood vessels of the heart. When the heart actually stops in a heart attack, this is called "cardiac arrest". The most common symptom is chest pain or chest discomfort, but these may also be mild or even absent, and in many cases even the patient is uncertain if they are having a heart attack. If there is any doubt, seek immediate emergency medical help.
The classic fatal misdiagnosis of heart attack is a person believing that their chest pain is simply heartburn (i.e., reflux, indigestion, GERD, etc.), and failing to seek medical attention for what turns out to be a heart attack. Similarly, people can mistakenly believe they have angina, when it is actually a heart attack.
However, many cases of heart attack go undiagnosed even in the emergency department. This diagnostic error in the ER makes AMI the single largest malpractice litigation-related medical condition. Because the typical profile for AMI in older men (usually over 45), AMI is often underdiagnosed in women or younger adults. In any age patients, AMI can have a variety of presentations, and diagnostic tests such as an EKG may still be normal. Misdiagnoses of AMI include gastrointestinal disorders (26% of misdiagnoses), musculoskeletal pain (21%), or respiratory ailments such as pneumonia or bronchitis (6%).
Other the other hand, there are also less serious disorders that are mistakenly believed to be heart attack. A common example are people having a panic attack (anxiety attack) and will rush to emergency in the belief they are dying from a heart attack. There are many other causes of chest pain, many of them not as serious (e.g. heartburn, GERD, gastric reflux, etc.). Nevertheless, it is important not to take chances, and seek immediate emergency medical attention for chest pain, or any possible heart attack or similar symptoms.
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2009 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved.
