Barn-Door Heart Attack

[Barmaid]

Does anyone know why a particular type of heart attack is called a "barn door" attack?

Is it something to do with shutting the door after the horse has bolted?

[Sqad]

Never heard of the term........my guess it is a layman's term to mean what ever you want it to mean.
My guess is that it is as "solid as a Barn Door".....a massive heart attack with maximum heart damage.
It is a lazy, valueless, meaningless term in my opinion.
I also find it difficult to believe that it has any thing to do with horses and stable doors.

[cupid04]

I read it's something to do with losing consciousness immediately when you have heart attack.

[jackthehat]

'Barn-door' is usually used as a reference to the great size of something, so perhaps it means a huge, usually fatal heart-attack rather than one from which it is possible to recover.

[HansUrbancka]

Whilst I am Not a medically qualified person, it is my understanding that 'Barn Door' is used in the Medical Profession to mean 'Obvious'.
In other words...It stands out as clear as a Barn Door.

Hans.

[Barmaid]

Thanks all. I had never heard it before (and I get to read hundreds of medical records).

Under the circumstances which were described to me, I think "massive", "maximum damage" and "near fatal" are probably the key points here.

[HansUrbancka]

I think divebuddy deserves 'Best Answer' for being the first to reply with the correct explanation.

The following is from the Medical Section of an on-line Dictionary.

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/barndoor

Hans.

[woofgang]

medically I have never heard it but colloquially I have heard the description “xxx was like being hit by a barn door” so yes, sudden, massive and nasty

[237SJ]

What a tacky term.

[woofgang]

I agree, most innappropriate in a medical document.