The universal definition of myocardial infarction
Kristian Thygesen, Joseph S. Alpert, Allan S. Jaffe, Harvey D. White
Abstract
Myocardial infarction is defined by the presence of myocardial injury detected by abnormal cardiac biomarkers in the setting of acute clinical myocardial ischaemia. These conditions are met when there is a detection of a rise and/or fall of cardiac biomarkers, preferably cardiac troponins, with at least one value above the 99th percentile of the upper reference limit together with evidence of acute clinical myocardial ischaemia as recognized by at least one of the following: symptoms of ischaemia, ECG changes of new ischaemia, development of pathological Q waves, imaging evidence of new loss of viable myocardium or new regional wall motion abnormality, or identification of an intracoronary thrombus by angiography or autopsy.