Are there misconceptions about the coronary system’s role in heart attacks? A novel and reproducible approach to demonstrate the anatomy of a heart attack (536.8)

Data collected has shown that misconceptions of the Coronary System’s role in heart attacks exist amongst the undergraduate anatomy students surveyed. Namely demonstrated was a misunderstanding of how the heart receives its own blood for its metabolism. Understanding one of the leading causes of death in the United States, Myocardial Infarction or heart attacks, is a part of the undergraduate anatomy curriculum. While studying the anatomy and physiology of the heart, students may have focused more of their time learning about the larger vessels associated with the circulatory system, with less attention paid to the smaller coronary arteries. The purpose of this study was three-fold: 1) To assess whether there were any misconceptions about heart attacks such as the misconception that heart attacks are caused by cessation in systemic circulation (Sudden Cardiac Arrest). 2) To design the Coronary Blood Flow Bio Model (CBBM), a reproducible demonstration of the Coronary System, that is easily implemented in a...