With an MI (Myocardial Infarction) plaque rupture and thrombus formation lead to a complete occlusion (blockage) of the artery, which leads to necrosis (death) of the myocardium supplied by that artery and causes irreversible damage. Other causes could be Vasospasm (which is a sudden narrowing of a coronary artery) decreased oxygen supply, and increased demand for oxygen. One thing that these cases have in common is that there is a profound imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Signs and symptoms would be crushing chest pain, shortness of breath, indigestion, anxiety and nausea. They may have an increased pulse and increased respirations. Because these symptoms are similar to angina it’s not until lab tests and the EKG are done that we can rule out angina.…show more content… With an MI the chest pains can last 15-20 minutes and the person suffering from the MI can also experience dyspnea, anxiety and decreased level of consciousness. MI pain is unrelieved by Nitroglycerin but it does help to keep the blood flow going to the heart to increase perfusion. MI’s are the number 1 leading cause of death in the United States. The chances of getting an MI increases with age, actual incidence is controlled by a predisposing risk factor for atherosclerosis. According to www.clevelandclinicmeded.com “The incidence MI is higher in men than women in all age groups”. A patient history should be done to see if there is history of a previous cardiac illness, as well as family history of heart disease. A complete diagnosis depends on electrocardiogram changes and is supported by abnormal cardiac enzyme levels. An Electrocardiogram is one of the single most valuable diagnostic tool for the nurse. Electrocardiograms show different views of the electrical activity of the heart in a snapshot and provide information by being able to view the heart from different
