This case involves a sixty-two-year-old male who died as a result of an undiagnosed myocardial infarction (MI). This man had a medical history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Five years prior to his death, the patient was first seen by his cardiologist when he experienced chest pain while climbing stairs at work. At the time, the chest pain was relieved by nitroglycerin and rest. Further testing revealed that the man had 50% occlusion of his left anterior descending artery. The cardiologist initiated him on rosuvastatin, aspirin, clopidogrel, lisinopril, and metoprolol. The patient took all of his medications daily but did not make changes to his diet. During a check-up appointment, the man expressed that he would still occasionally have chest pain. Most concerning to him, he noticed that his left arm and jaw began to hurt earlier in the week. He explained that he administered nitroglycerin to himself but it did not relieve his symptoms. The cardiologist performed an EKG, which revealed no abnormalities. The physician told him that it was probably indigestion and recommended an over the counter medication. One week later, the man began to experience severe chest pain that radiated down his left arm while playing outside with his grandchildren. He was rushed to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction. He was in critical condition upon arrival and died due to an arrhythmia.
