Ischemic means having or showing symptoms of ischemia. In medicine, ischemia is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. It may also be spelled ischaemia or ischæmia. It also means local anaemia in a given part of a body, sometimes resulting from congestion such as vasoconstriction, thrombosis or embolism.
Ischemia is an absolute or relative shortage of the blood supply to an organ, i.e. A shortage of oxygen, glucose and other blood-borne fuels. A relative shortage means the mismatch of blood supply (oxygen/fuel delivery) and blood request for adequate metabolism of tissue. Ischemia results in tissue damage because of a lack of oxygen and nutrients. Ultimately, this can cause severe damage because of the potential for a build-up of metabolic wastes.
Ischemia can also be described as an inadequate flow of blood to a part of the body, caused by constriction or blockage of the blood vessels supplying it. Ischemia of the heart muscle produces angina pectoris.
Ischemia can be caused by various other conditions such as Atherosclerosis (lipid-laden plaques obstructing the lumen of arteries); Hypoglycaemia (lower than normal level of glucose); Tachycardia (abnormally rapid beating of the heart); Hypotension (low blood pressure, e.g. In septic shock, heart failure); Thromboembolism (blood clots); Embolism (foreign bodies in the circulation, e.g. Amniotic fluid embolism); Sickle cell disease (abnormally shaped red blood cells); Tourniquet application etc.
The heart, the kidneys, and the brain are among the organs that are the most quickly damaged by loss of blood flow for any period of time.
Administration of ‘clot-buster’ drugs such as Alteplase (given for strokes and heart attacks) within a certain time period, together with some collateral circulation to the ischemic area is a main factor in patient recoveries. However, complete cessation of oxygenation of such organs for more than 20 minutes typically results in irreversible damage.
Ischemia is an absolute or relative shortage of the blood supply to an organ, i.e. A shortage of oxygen, glucose and other blood-borne fuels. A relative shortage means the mismatch of blood supply (oxygen/fuel delivery) and blood request for adequate metabolism of tissue. Ischemia results in tissue damage because of a lack of oxygen and nutrients. Ultimately, this can cause severe damage because of the potential for a build-up of metabolic wastes.
Ischemia can also be described as an inadequate flow of blood to a part of the body, caused by constriction or blockage of the blood vessels supplying it. Ischemia of the heart muscle produces angina pectoris.
Ischemia can be caused by various other conditions such as Atherosclerosis (lipid-laden plaques obstructing the lumen of arteries); Hypoglycaemia (lower than normal level of glucose); Tachycardia (abnormally rapid beating of the heart); Hypotension (low blood pressure, e.g. In septic shock, heart failure); Thromboembolism (blood clots); Embolism (foreign bodies in the circulation, e.g. Amniotic fluid embolism); Sickle cell disease (abnormally shaped red blood cells); Tourniquet application etc.
The heart, the kidneys, and the brain are among the organs that are the most quickly damaged by loss of blood flow for any period of time.
Administration of ‘clot-buster’ drugs such as Alteplase (given for strokes and heart attacks) within a certain time period, together with some collateral circulation to the ischemic area is a main factor in patient recoveries. However, complete cessation of oxygenation of such organs for more than 20 minutes typically results in irreversible damage.
