THE RELEVANCE OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY LABORATORIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Resumo

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) impairs the myocardium ability to pump blood. If this condition is not reversed at time will compromise the entire cardiovascular system which in turn can lead to the collapse of all other physiological systems. Therefore, for the rapid and correct management of this condition it is crucial the role played by the clinical pathology laboratory (CPL) due to its rapid response in the quantification of cardiac biomarkers. Through the measurements realized in CPL it is possible to not only diagnose myocardial injury but also evaluate the injury size, establish a prognostic, or estimate the risk of re-infarction. Currently, the data provided by CPL to the clinician is increasingly accurate and robust, what was only possible due to the evolution that has been made in this field on the last three decades. Therefore, the major objective of this review is to emphasize the relevance that CPL has in the management of AMI patients.