Acute Coronary Syndrome: In a Nutshell (Nursing)

00:00 So let's wrap up this video series.

00:03 Acute unstable angina is a medical emergency.

00:07 The goal of treatment is to produce ischemia from becoming myocardial infarction.

00:13 Now unstable angina can quickly progress into a myocardial infarction.

00:17 That's where excellent nurses who have strong assessment skills can make the difference between life and death.

00:24 NSTEMI and STEMI are both MI's so you don't really want either one.

00:29 They can actually be identified with your electrocardiogram.

00:32 So learning those skills is really important also be confirmed with additional lab tests and diagnostic testing.

00:39 But an excellent nurse will recognize those changes on an EKG.

00:43 And how we treat acute unstable and angina which is a medical emergency involves anti ischemic therapy nitroglycerin, beta blockers, oxygen, ACE inhibitors and ARBs.

00:54 Might include antiplatelet therapy like aspirin or maybe consider some other antiplatelets and a coagulant therapy, some type of heparin low-molecular-weight, some direct thrombin inhibitors or unfractionated heparin.

01:09 Thrombolytic therapy may also be considered if all the risk factors have been ruled out for the patient and it's within the appropriate time frame.

01:17 Thanks for watching our video today.