Physical Therapy Assistant Practice Exam

What term describes the disruptions in cardiac impulse generation and conduction that are often seen after a heart attack?

1. Myocardial infarction

2. Arrhythmias

3. Atherosclerosis

4. Angina

The correct answer is: Arrhythmias

The term that describes the disruptions in cardiac impulse generation and conduction, often seen after a heart attack, is arrhythmias. Following a myocardial infarction, the heart muscle can be damaged, leading to irregular heartbeats caused by problems in the electrical system that controls heart rhythm. This can result from the death of myocardial cells, which can impair the heart's ability to depolarize and repolarize correctly, thus causing various types of arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. Myocardial infarction refers specifically to the event of the heart attack itself but does not encompass the subsequent arrhythmias that may develop. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats and other substances in and on the artery walls, which is a process that can lead to heart attacks but does not describe the arrhythmic changes following a heart event. Angina is chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, typically occurring due to atherosclerosis, and is not synonymous with arrhythmias. Understanding arrhythmias in the context of post-myocardial infarction care is critical for both prevention and management of potential cardiac complications.