When you hear about someone who had a massive coronary or massive heart attack, what does the word “massive” mean? Does it actually have something to do with mass (which I can’t seem to fathom), or is it used as a superlative, as in: “He had a huge-ass heart attack”? Same goes for “massive hemmorhage” (I think I’ve heard that phrase on E/R or something).
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, in pathology, massive means “Affecting a large area of bodily tissue; widespread and severe”. http://www.bartleby.com/61/99/M0139900.html
According to my father’s old medical dictionary, massive can mean “complete” and it is this sense that is meant in “massive collapse”, etc.
That makes sense then.Thanks.
What bibliophage said. In the context you presented, “coronary” means coronary occlusion, or obstruction of one of the arteries which feed the heart muscle. Sometimes very small feeder branches of the artery are occluded, so just a small portion of the heart muscle becomes ischemic and dies. This is still painful, and can be fatal because if the electrical system of the heart is affected, it can decide to pack it in and stop beating.
A “massive coronary” would imply occlusion of a major coronary vessel, wiping out a large part of the heart muscle, rendering it incapable of pumping blood adequately to sustain life, even if the electrical system is intact.