A patient is brought to the emergency room with chest pain

Question

After interviewing the patient, the nurse discovers that the chest pain was precipitated by physical exertion and was relieved by nitroglycerin. Based on the patient's history, the nurse suspects which of the following medical diagnoses?
A) Myocardial infarction
B) Atypical angina pectoris
C) Typical angina pectoris
D) Unstable angina pectoris

Answer 1

Ans: C
Feedback: Typical angina pectoris typically produces pain felt deep in the chest behind the sternum. Several factors are associated with typical angina such as physical exertion, exposure to cold and stress, and eating a heavy meal. It subsides with rest and or nitroglycerin. Unstable angina is characterized by attacks that increase in frequency and severity and are not relieved by rest and nitroglycerin. Atypical angina is not associated with physical factors and usually occurs at rest. Chest pain that occurs suddenly and continues despite rest and medication is the presenting symptom in most patients with a myocardial infarction. The signs and symptoms of an MI cannot be distinguished from those of unstable angina.