ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) Version 7ScienceHard
A patient experiences a sudden onset of severe chest pain, shortness of breath, and diaphoresis. An electrocardiogram (ECG) shows ST-segment elevation. These findings are most consistent with a blockage in which type of blood vessel?
- ASuperior vena cava
- BAorta
- CPulmonary artery
- DCoronary artery
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Coronary artery
Severe chest pain, shortness of breath, diaphoresis, and ST-segment elevation on an ECG are classic symptoms and signs of a myocardial infarction (heart attack). A myocardial infarction occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, most commonly due to a clot in a coronary artery.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Blockage in the superior vena cava would cause swelling in the head, neck, and upper extremities, not chest pain or ST-segment elevation.
- B. Aortic dissection or aneurysm rupture would cause severe pain, but ST-segment elevation is not a primary diagnostic feature.
- C. A blockage in the pulmonary artery (pulmonary embolism) would cause shortness of breath and chest pain, but typically not ST-segment elevation on ECG.
Coronary Arteries
Blood vessels that branch off the aorta and supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle (myocardium) itself.
- Essential for the heart's function and survival.
- Blockage leads to myocardial ischemia and infarction (heart attack).
- Include the left main, left anterior descending, circumflex, and right coronary arteries.
Memory trick: Coronary Trouble = Cardiac Attack.