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67 67 Group Discussions 1 A Todd is a 49-year-old man with a very stressful job that involves traveling. He suffers a heart attack on a trip back to Houston. He is admitted to a hospital at the Texas Medical Center, and is diagnosed with an occlusion of the left coronary artery. Clinical findings include atrial fibrillation, pulmonary edema, and a conduction block. Treatment includes: anticoagulation medication, to prevent clot formation in the fibrillating atria; a diuretic, to decrease both load on the left ventricle and edema in the lungs; and stent placement in the occluded left coronary artery, to help re-establish blood flow and facilitate healing of the damaged area. Todd also needs a pacemaker because the conduction block affects the rate of ventricular contraction. He experienced a bad myocardial infarction. Based on information provided in the Cardiovascular chapters of your book what causes the death of cardiac muscle cells during a myocardial infarction? Discussion Parameters