BIOLOGY REASEARCH
Majid Dardas
Uses of Aspirin
Majid Dardas
Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is a salicylate drug, and is generally used as an analgesic (something that relieves pain without producing anesthesia or loss of consciousness) for minor aches and pains, to reduce fever (an antipyretic), and also as an anti-inflammatory drug. Your doctor may direct you to take a low dose of aspirin to prevent blood clots. This effect reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack. If you have recently had surgery on clogged arteries (such as bypass surgery, carotid endarterectomy, coronary stent), your doctor may direct you to use aspirin in low doses as a «blood thinner» to prevent blood clots.
When should you not use aspirin? You should not use aspirin if you have a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia, a recent history of stomach or intestinal bleeding, or if you are allergic to an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Orudis, Indocin, Lodine, Voltaren, Toradol, Mobic, Relafen, Feldene, and others. Do not give this medication to a child or teenager with a fever, flu symptoms, or chicken pox. Salicylates can cause Reye›s syndrome, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in children.
Therefore the uses of aspirin are: 1) As an analgesic (something that relieves pain without producing anesthesia or loss of consciousness)
3) As an antipyretic (to reduce fever) 4) As a blood thinner (to prevent blood clot)
2) As an anti-inflammatory drug (inflammation is when the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot and often painful.
5) To treat angina (chest pain)
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Angioplasty
Majid Dardas
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women. CAD happens when the arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. This is due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls. This buildup is called atherosclerosis. As it grows, less blood can flow through the arteries. As a result, the heart muscle can’t get the blood or oxygen it needs. This can lead to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Most heart attacks happen when a blood clot suddenly cuts off the hearts’ blood supply, causing permanent heart damage. Over time, CAD can also weaken the heart muscle and contribute to heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure means the heart can’t pump blood well to the rest of the body. Arrhythmias are changes in the normal beating rhythm of the heart. Angioplasty is a procedure to restore blood flow through the artery. You have angioplasty in a hospital. The doctor threads a thin tube through a blood vessel in the arm or groin up to the involved site in the artery. The tube has a tiny balloon on the end. When the tube is in place, the doctor inflates the balloon to push the plaque outward against the wall of the artery. This widens the artery and restores blood flow. Doctors may use angioplasty to: • Reduce chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart • Minimize damage to heart muscle from a heart attack Many people go home the day after angioplasty, and are able to return to work within a week of coming home.
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By-Pass Surgery
Majid Dardas
Another way to treat coronary artery disease is by a by-pass surgery. During a bypass surgery, a blood vessel is removed or redirected from one area of the body and placed around the area or areas of narrowing in order to “bypass” the blockages and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. This vessel is called a graft. These substitute blood vessels can come from your chest, legs, or arms. They’re safe to use because there are other pathways that take blood to and from those tissues. The surgeon will decide which graft(s) to use depending on the location of your blockage, the amount of blockage and the size of your coronary arteries. Before your surgery you will get general anesthesia. You will be asleep (unconscious) and pain-free during surgery. Once you are unconscious, the heart surgeon will make an 8 - 10-inch surgical cut in the middle of your chest. Your breastbone will be separated to create an opening. This allows your surgeon to see your heart and aorta, the main blood vessel leading from the heart to the rest of your body. Most people who have coronary bypass surgery are connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, or bypass pump. • Your heart is stopped while you are connected to this machine. • This machine does the work of your heart while your heart is stopped for the surgery. The machine adds oxygen
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By-Pass Surgery
Majid Dardas
To create the bypass graft: 1) The doctor will take a vein or artery from another part of your body and uses it to make a detour (or graft) around the blocked area in your artery. Your doctor may use a vein, called the saphenous vein, from your leg. 3) A blood vessel in your chest, called the internal mammary artery (IMA), can also be used as the graft. One end of this artery is already connected to your aorta. The other end is attached to your coronary artery.
2) To reach this vein, a surgical cut will be made along the inside of your leg, between your ankle and groin. One end of the graft will be sewn to your coronary artery. The other end will be sewn to an opening made in your aorta. 4) Other arteries can also be used for grafts in bypass surgery. The most common one is the radial artery in your wrist.
After the graft has been created, your breastbone will be closed with wires. These wires stay inside you. The surgical cut will be closed with stitches. This surgery can take 4 to 6 hours. After the surgery, you will be taken to the intensive care unit.
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