ICD-Code I21.41: Acute subendocardial myocardial infarction, type 2 infarction
You had a heart attack.
The heart is composed of a thick layer of muscle and a thin membrane inside the heart. An external sac, the pericardium, surrounds the heart. This sac consists of a protective membrane. The heart muscle is supplied with oxygen-rich blood via the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries are blood vessels that run around the outside of the heart.
A heart attack involves parts of the heart not getting enough oxygen-rich blood. As a result, the affected heart tissue gets damaged or dies. When a heart attack occurs, circulation may be disrupted if the inner lining of a coronary artery is injured. The muscles of a blood vessel can also contract and spasm. As a result, the affected coronary artery is narrowed. However, the heart muscle may also receive insufficient oxygen due to another health condition.
The heart attack damaged the innermost layer of muscle inside your heart. It is located directly below the thin membrane inside the heart. A heart attack can cause sudden pain in the chest or arm. They may sweat or feel nauseous. The heart may no longer be working properly. One can then have breathing difficulties and be seriously ill.
Additional indicator
On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.
- G: Confirmed diagnosis
- V: Tentative diagnosis
- Z: Condition after
- A: Excluded diagnosis
- L: Left
- R: Right
- B: Both sides
Note
This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.
Source
The explanation of the ICD code was provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).