culprit artery
The specific coronary vessel responsible for the acute coronary syndrome, typically identified by ECG changes and requiring primary intervention.
Full Definition
The culprit artery is the coronary vessel containing the acute thrombotic occlusion or critical stenosis directly responsible for the patient's acute coronary syndrome presentation. Identification relies on correlation between ECG lead changes, clinical presentation, and angiographic findings to determine which vessel requires immediate revascularization. In STEMI patients, the culprit artery guides primary PCI strategy, while in NSTEMI, identifying the culprit vessel among multiple diseased vessels influences the urgency and sequence of interventions during hospitalization.
Usage
Usage note: Specify the vessel name when documenting rather than using 'culprit' alone.
In Context
- "Angiography revealed the right coronary artery as the culprit artery with acute thrombotic occlusion." — Cardiac catheterization report
- "ECG changes in leads II, III, and aVF suggest the RCA as the culprit artery." — Emergency cardiology consultation