Overview. Acute coronary syndrome is a term used to describe a range of conditions associated with sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart. One such condition is a heart attack (myocardial infarction) — when cell death results in damaged or destroyed heart tissue.
Although health professionals frequently use both terms CAD and ACS interchangeably, as well as CHD, they are not the same. ACS is a subcategory of CAD, whilst CHD results of CAD.
Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), ST-elevation MI (STEMI), and unstable angina are the three traditional types of ACS.
The term acute coronary syndrome (ACS) refers to any group of clinical symptoms compatible with acute myocardial ischemia and includes unstable angina (UA), non—ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Definition. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is term that encompasses unstable angina, non-ST elevation MI (new term for non-Q wave MI, often referred to as non-STEMI), and ST elevation MI (new term for Q wave MI, often referred to as STEMI).
A heart attack is a form of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), where there is a significant blockage in the coronary arteries. The 3 main types of ACS include: ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) unstable angina.