Myocardial Infarction NCLEX Review (Part 1)

This is an NCLEX review for myocardial infarction (heart attack or MI) part 1.Patients who have experienced a myocardial infarction are at risk for many complications. An MI is when there has been compromised blood flow to the myocardial tissue that leads to cell death.

In the next review, part 2, I will cover the nursing interventions and medications used to treat MI.

When taking care of a patient who is experiencing an MI, it is very important the nurse knows how to recognize the typical signs and symptoms seen in this condition, how it is diagnosed, nursing interventions, and patient education.

Dont forget to take the myocardial infarction quiz.

In this NCLEX review for myocardial infarction, you will learn the following:

Definition:The hearts myocardial tissue layer dies from decreased blood flow due to:

Causes:

The coronary arteries supply the heart with nutrients. They branch off from the aorta into the left and right coronary artery.

Left Coronary Arteries:

Important to note: Blockages in the left coronary arteries can cause the worst damage from a myocardial infarction. This is because blockages in the left coronary artery can cause anterior wall death which affects the left ventricle. Anterior MIs affect the most myocardial tissue, especially if the blockage occurs before it branches off and this can extend into the septum and lateral wall.

Right Coronary Arteries:

When a coronary artery becomes 100% blocked the muscle cells die. Cell death is irreversible after about 30 minute. The cells are gone forever and can never be replaced.

Other Complications:

Heart failure, depression, and ventricular aneurysm

Remember the mnemonic: CRUSHING

Chest pain (intense, heavy)

Radiating chest pain that goes to left arm, jaw, back

Unrelieved by nitroglycerin or rest (chest pain)

Sweating (cold)

Hard to breathe (shortness of breath)

Increased heart rate, blood pressure or irregular heart rate

Nausea with vomiting

Going to be anxious and scared

Note: Women can present differently by not having heavy chest pain. Their chest pain may be felt in the lower part of the chest, experience shortness of breath, and feel extremely fatigued. They may not seek immediate help because they think they are just ill with a sickness.

Silent MIs: this is where the patient has no symptoms of chest pain. Mainly occurs in diabetics due to diabetic neuropathy where the nerves that feel pain are damaged in the heart.

When the heart muscle is injured it releases cardiac markers overtime. This will help the health care provider know that something is going on along with a 12-lead EKG (and other tools).

Blood Tests Cardiac markers:

Other tools used:

What are you looking for on the EKG? Please watch the lecture video above for an in depth explanation on this. This explanation starts at time mark: 18:33

Know the views of the heart based on an EKG reading:

References:

More:

Myocardial Infarction NCLEX Review (Part 1)