Cardiac steal syndrome
From Self-sufficiency
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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with coronary steal. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2009. |
Cardiac steal syndrome is a phenomenon caused when there is narrowing of the coronary arteries and an arteriolar vasodilator is used - "stealing" blood away from those parts of the heart. This happens as a result of the narrowed coronary arteries being always maximally dilated to compensate for the decreased upstream blood supply. Dilating the other arterioles causes blood to be shunted away from the coronary vessels.
When a patient is incapable of doing physical activity they are given a vasodilator that produces a "cardiac steal syndrome" as a diagnostic procedure. The test result is positive if the patient's symptoms reappear or if ECG alterations are seen.
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