Acute coronary syndrome (symptoms, diagnostic, complications)

Big picture

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is an emergency spectrum caused by acute myocardial ischemia, usually from rupture or erosion of an atherosclerotic plaque with thrombus formation. It includes unstable angina, NSTEMI, and STEMI. Modern guidelines manage ACS as one spectrum from first medical contact through acute treatment, invasive assessment, revascularization, and long-term secondary prevention. ([European Society of Cardiology][1])

The examiner wants you to think in this order:

Chest pain → ECG immediately → STEMI or NSTE-ACS? → troponin → reperfusion/invasive strategy → monitor complications