US Medical Term · conditions
Heart Attack
Infarto de miocardio
Also: Ataque al corazón (regional variant)
What it means
A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, happens when blood flow to the heart suddenly becomes blocked, so the heart can't get oxygen. If it is not treated quickly, the heart muscle begins to die. The most common symptoms include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and discomfort in the upper body, such as the arms, back, shoulders, neck, or jaw. A heart attack is a medical emergency: if you think you or someone else may be having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 right away, even if you are not sure it is a heart attack.
Heart Attack in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Infarto de miocardio
- Gender and article
- masculine: el infarto de miocardio
- Pronunciation
- een-FAR-toh deh mee-oh-KAR-dee-oh
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ataque al corazón | General | Everyday term; MedlinePlus en español uses it throughout its summary, and the RAE dictionary lists it as an example under "ataque". |
| Ataque cardíaco | General | Listed by MedlinePlus en español under "Otros nombres" and used as the page title; also the term NHLBI uses in Spanish. |
| Infarto | General | Short form; listed under "Otros nombres" by MedlinePlus en español, and the RAE dictionary defines it by antonomasia as "infarto de miocardio". |
Infarto de miocardio is the formal, clinical name, the one that matches "myocardial infarction" (abbreviated MI in English) on a chart or discharge summary. Patient materials from MedlinePlus en español and NHLBI say ataque al corazón or ataque cardíaco, and the short form infarto is understood to mean a heart attack. All three are masculine: el infarto, el ataque.
Do not confuse it with paro cardíaco (cardiac arrest). During a heart attack the heart usually doesn't suddenly stop beating; in a sudden cardiac arrest the heart stops beating and the person passes out. A heart attack can trigger a sudden cardiac arrest, and both are medical emergencies. In an emergency, the sentence to know is Llame al 9-1-1 de inmediato.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | Call 9-1-1 right away! I think my husband is having a heart attack. | ¡Llame al 9-1-1 de inmediato! Creo que mi esposo está teniendo un ataque al corazón. |
| Patient | I feel pressure in my chest and I am short of breath. | Siento presión en el pecho y me falta el aire. |
| Clinician | When did the chest discomfort start, and does it come and go? | ¿Cuándo empezó la molestia en el pecho? ¿Va y viene? |
| Clinician | Do you feel pain in your arm, back, neck, or jaw? | ¿Siente dolor en el brazo, la espalda, el cuello o la mandíbula? |
| Patient | I feel nauseous and dizzy, and I broke out in a cold sweat. | Tengo náuseas y mareos, y empecé a sudar frío. |
| Clinician | We are going to do an electrocardiogram and some blood tests right now. | Vamos a hacerle un electrocardiograma y unos análisis de sangre ahora mismo. |
| Clinician | Have you ever been told that you had a heart attack? | ¿Le han dicho alguna vez que tuvo un infarto? |
| Patient | Doctor, was it a heart attack? What happens next? | Doctor, ¿fue un infarto? ¿Qué sigue ahora? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Heart Attack |
| Spanish (Español) | Infarto de miocardio |
| Chinese (中文) | 心肌梗塞 |
| Korean (한국어) | 심장마비 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Nhồi máu cơ tim |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Atake sa Puso |
| Portuguese (Português) | Infarto do miocárdio |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | กล้ามเนื้อหัวใจตาย |
| Japanese (日本語) | 心臓発作 |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: I21 → Acute myocardial infarctionRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Heart and circulation
All terms in this area: Heart and circulation — Corazón y circulación
Sources
- Heart Attack — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Ataque cardíaco — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- What Is a Heart Attack? — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH
- ¿Qué es un ataque cardíaco? — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH
- infarto — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 1, 2026