Which term describes a myocardial infarction caused by blocked blood flow?

• A. Myocardial Infarction
• B. Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction
• C. Mitral Valve Prolapse
• D. Deep Vein Thrombosis

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that myocardial infarction is the event of heart muscle death caused by a loss of blood flow to the heart, typically from a blocked coronary artery. When a blockage occurs, oxygen and nutrients stop reaching heart tissue, and cells begin to die, defining an infarction. The broad term that describes this event—regardless of how the blockage presents on ECG—is myocardial infarction. This includes the two main subtypes that differ by the ECG pattern (complete occlusion vs partial occlusion), but the underlying concept is the same: blocked blood flow leading to tissue death.

The other options describe conditions that are not heart attacks. Mitral valve prolapse is a valve abnormality, not an infarction. Deep vein thrombosis is a clot in a vein, far from the coronary arteries. Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction is a specific type of MI, still caused by blocked flow, but the general term for the event itself is myocardial infarction, which is why it’s the best fit here.