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Patient handout

Anterior wall STEMI (LAD culprit)

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for anterior wall stemi (lad culprit). Your care team identified this based on: st elevation v1–v6 + reciprocal st↓ inferior leads (anterior stemi).

Other reasons your team may use this plan: ischemic chest pain + anterior stemi ecg → emergent cath within 90 min; new severe lv dysfunction on bedside echo + anterior wall akinesia.

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
aspirin162-325 mg chewedPOload + 81 mg dailyACC/AHA 2025 ACS Class I; same as parent
ticagrelor180 mg load → 90 mg BIDPOBID × 12 mo default DAPTPLATO PMID 19717846; same as parent
warfarin5 mg daily; INR target 2-3POdailyStandard 3-mo warfarin if LV thrombus per AHA 2022 Class IIa; consider DOAC alternative (apixaban) for compliance per COMMANDER-HF (PMID 30277645) — though direct LV-thrombus DOAC RCT data sparse
apixaban5 mg BID (or 2.5 mg BID per dose-reduction criteria)POBID × 3 mo for LV thrombusOff-label-but-rational DOAC alternative for LV thrombus; small RCTs (NoT-DAPT, Xarelto LV-thrombus) suggest non-inferiority to warfarin

Plan: Anterior STEMI complication phenotype — adds to parent cardio.stemi.core.v1 reperfusion regimen

3. When to call your provider

Contact your care team if any of the following happen:

  • ICD therapy delivered → urgent EP
  • EF declining despite the four foundational heart-failure medications → advanced HF eval

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • Anterior STEMI + SBP <90 + lactate ≥2 — high probability given LAD territory size (SCAI 2022 C+)(life-threatening)
  • LV thrombus on echo at 5-7d post-anterior-MI (peak formation period)
  • New harsh holosystolic murmur post-anterior-MI + hemodynamic deterioration → VSR(life-threatening)
  • WCD therapy delivered OR adherence <90% during 40-90d ICD eligibility window
  • Recurrent VT/VF in first 48h post-anterior-MI despite reperfusion(life-threatening)

5. Follow-up

Cardiology + EP follow-up; heart pumping strength (LVEF) re-echo at 40-90 d for ICD eligibility (MADIT-II EF ≤30); WCD bridge during interval if EF <35; cardiac rehab

6. Sources

Guideline: 2025 ACC/AHA ACS Guideline + ESC 2023 ACS + AHA 2022 HF (with 2023 Focused Update)

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37622670
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35718438
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38587234