Medications
This antiplatelet medication is commonly prescribed post-MI to prevent further clot formation.
What is aspirin?
This type of angina occurs predictably with exertion and is relieved by rest.
What is stable angina?
Time is muscle. This is the recommended door-to-balloon time for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in an MI.
What is 90 minutes?
Really we strive for 60 minutes...
This dysrhythmia has an irregularly irregular rhythm and is often treated with anticoagulants to prevent stroke.
What is atrial fibrillation?
This is the first action a nurse should take for a patient reporting chest pain.
What is assess the patient and obtain vital signs?
This vitamin K antagonist is commonly prescribed to atrial fibrillation patients for stroke prevention but requires regular INR monitoring and dietary consistency to maintain therapeutic levels and reduce the risk of bleeding.
What is Warfarin?
This test evaluates coronary artery perfusion and is often done for patients with angina during exercise or pharmacologically.
What is a stress test?
This wave change on an ECG indicates myocardial injury.
What is ST elevation?
The priority intervention for a patient in ventricular fibrillation.
What is defibrillation?
For a patient with a suspected myocardial infarction, the nurse should immediately ensure this diagnostic test is performed.
What is a 12-lead ECG?
For intravenous administration of this antiarrhythmic in acute arrhythmias, the initial loading dose is given over 10 minutes, followed by a continuous infusion of 1 mg/min for the first 6 hours, then reduced to 0.5 mg/min for the next 18 hours.
What is Amiodarone?
This non-ST elevation condition is caused by coronary vasospasm, often occurring at rest.
What is Prinzmetal's angina (variant angina)?
This medication reduces myocardial oxygen demand by lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and contractility (force of contractions).
What is a beta-blocker (e.g., metoprolol)?
This drug is the first-line treatment for symptomatic bradycardia.
What is atropine?
This non-pharmacological intervention after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery includes positioning the patient in a semi-reclining position to promote lung expansion, reduce pain, and enhance comfort while also encouraging deep breathing exercises to prevent complications like atelectasis.
What are comfort positioning and deep breathing exercises?
This dual antiplatelet therapy has been proven to decrease thrombotic events and reduce mortality in high-risk patients. Still, it significantly increases the risk of bleeding, requiring careful patient selection and monitoring.
What is Vorapaxar and Clopidogrel (Plavix)?
This condition, a type of acute coronary syndrome, is characterized by chest pain at rest or with minimal exertion, often lasting longer than 15 minutes, and requires urgent medical evaluation due to the high risk of progression to myocardial infarction.
What is Unstable Angina?
This nitrate is typically administered sublingually in 0.3 to 0.6 mg (usually 0.4 mg) doses every 5 minutes for chest pain relief in acute myocardial infarction, up to three doses, but should be used cautiously in patients with hypotension.
What is Nitroglycerin (NTG)?
This electrolyte imbalance can cause peaked T waves and ventricular dysrhythmias.
What is hyperkalemia?
This acronym guides the initial nursing interventions for a patient experiencing ACS.
What is MONA (Morphine, Oxygen, Nitrates, Aspirin)?
This antiarrhythmic drug requires careful monitoring when administered intravenously due to potential adverse effects such as bradycardia, hypotension, and phlebitis. Long-term use is associated with thyroid dysfunction, pulmonary fibrosis, liver enzyme elevation, and corneal microdeposits.
What is amiodarone?
Patients taking this medication for angina should not take sildenafil or other phosphodiesterase inhibitors due to the risk of severe hypotension.
What is nitroglycerin?
This enzyme is commonly measured in blood to diagnose myocardial infarction, as its levels rise within 3 to 4 hours of injury and can remain elevated for up to two weeks, making it a key marker for detecting heart muscle damage.
What is Troponin?
This supraventricular arrhythmia is characterized by a rapid heart rate originating above the ventricles, typically over 150 beats per minute, and can cause symptoms like palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
What is Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)?
This life-threatening complication after CABG occurs when blood or fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac, leading to pressure on the heart, reduced cardiac output, and symptoms such as hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and distended neck veins.
What is Cardiac Tamponade?