The nurse educator is preparing an inservice for nurses who are new to the cardiac care unit. When discussing antianginal therapy, which basic strategies will the educator include?

Question

Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Decreasing the oxygen consumption of the brain.
2. Increasing myocardial contractility.
3. Increasing blood flow to the peripheral blood vessels.
4. Increasing blood flow to the myocardium.
5. Decreasing myocardial oxygen demand.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 4,5
Rationale 1: Angina is a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and oxygen demand. Decreasing brain oxygen consumption will not help correct this problem.
Rationale 2: Angina is a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and oxygen demand. Increasing contractility will increase myocardial oxygen supply, making the angina worse.
Rationale 3: Angina is a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and oxygen demand. Increasing blood flow to peripheral blood vessels does nothing to correct this imbalance.
Rationale 4: Angina is a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and oxygen demand. A basic antianginal strategy is to increase oxygen supply by increasing blood flow to the coronary arteries.
Rationale 5: Angina is a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and oxygen demand. A basic antianginal strategy is to decrease myocardial oxygen demand.
Global Rationale: Angina is a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and oxygen demand. A basic antianginal strategy is to increase oxygen supply by increasing blood flow to the coronary arteries and to decrease myocardial oxygen demand. Decreasing brain oxygen consumption will not help correct this problem. Increasing contractility will increase myocardial oxygen supply, making the angina worse. Increasing blood flow to peripheral blood vessels does nothing to correct this imbalance.