Question

Chapter 53 Case Study
You are a nurse in a cardiac postsurgical unit. You receive a report on a patient coming from the
emergency department who has ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and will undergo reperfusion therapy. You will
need to prepare the patient for the procedure and answer the following questions for the teaching plan:

1. How does a myocardial infarction occur?

2. How is reperfusion accomplished?

3. What are the adverse effects of fibrinolytic therapy?

Answer 1

1. Myocardial infarction is otherwise known as the heart attack. It is a condition that occurs if there is any clot or plaque in the coronary artery(The artery supplying blood to Heart), its result in stops or reduces blood supply to the heart muscles. Lack of blood supply damaged heart muscles because of hypoxia.

It can cause severe pain in the chest and radiate to shoulder. It is a medical emergency requires immediate treatment because after 4 to 6 hours damage of heart muscle is permanent.

2. Reperfusion means to restore perfusion, here in myocardial infarction there is blockage of the coronary artery which stops blood flow to heart tissue. Reperfusion can accomplish by breaking down the clot by medication which is known as Fibrinolytic therapy or Thrombolytic therapy or by PTCA (Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) or by POBA (Percutaneous transluminal ballooning angioplasty).

3. Fibrinolytic therapy or Thrombolytic therapy has an adverse effect of bleeding. The common site are brain, Gastrointestinal tract, Catheter site, and mouth.

It can cause hemorrhagic stroke and internal bleeding.