myocardial infarction

Definition

The official term for a heart attack, when cardiac tissue dies from lack of blood flow—essentially a foreclosure notice on part of your heart. Medical professionals use this term to sound clinical while delivering terrifying news.

Example Usage

The patient suffered an ST-elevation myocardial infarction and was rushed to the cardiac catheterization lab.

Origin

From Greek 'myo' (muscle) + 'kardia' (heart) + Latin 'infarctus' (stuffed into, blocked)

Fun Fact

The term 'infarction' literally means tissue death from lack of blood supply and can occur in any organ, not just the heart—hence pulmonary infarction, splenic infarction, etc.

Source: Cardiology standards and emergency medicine protocols

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