The nurse assessing a middle-aged patient experiencing chest pain ...

[Metfan725]

The nurse assessing a middle-aged patient experiencing chest pain realizes that presence of what symptom would be most characteristic of an acute myocardial infarction?
 
  1. substernal pressure type pain, radiating down the left arm
  2. colic-like epigastric pain
  3. sharp, well-localized unilateral chest and left arm pain
  4. sharp, burning chest pain moving from place to place

Question 2

During an office visit, a 55-year-old female patient asks why she has not been prescribed a daily dose of aspirin when her 56-year-old husband has been. What should the nurse explain is the most likely reason for this?
 
  1. The benefit of aspirin in women under age 65 is not clear.
  2. Aspirin is not recommended for women.
  3. This must have been an oversight.
  4. She has other medications that could interfere.

[ndhahbi]

Answer to Question 1

Correct Answer: 1
The cardinal manifestation of ACS is chest pain, usually substernal or epigastric. The pain often radiates to the shoulders, neck, jaw, or arm. Cardiac chest pain is not usually described as colic-like, localized to a defined spot such as the epigastric area, or as a sharp pain. The clinical manifestations of angina pectoris include a sudden onset of discomfort in the chest, jaw, shoulder, back, or arm, aggravated by exertion or emotional stress.

Answer to Question 2

Correct Answer: 1
In women, the benefit of low-dose aspirin in reducing the risk for coronary heart disease is not clear prior to 65 years of age. Aspirin is recommended for women over the age of 65. This was not an oversight. There is not enough information to determine whether the patient has other medications that could interfere with aspirin.