Case Study, Chapter 27, Disorders of Cardiac Function, and Heart Failure and Circulatory Shock
Martha had just finished dinner with her husband, and they had just sat down to watch television. She is 72 years old and has had a history of angina. Shortly after they sat down, Martha said she had indigestion and went to take some antacid tablets. An hour later, she began to feel warm, restless, and anxious. Her husband noticed she was looking pale and said he would take her to a nearby walk-in clinic. By the time they arrived, Martha said her left arm and shoulder were sore. Suspecting Martha was having a heart attack, her husband turned the car around and rushed her to the hospital. Three hours after the onset of her symptoms, Martha was receiving oxygen, fibrinolytic therapy, and nitroglycerin in the emergency ward. Afterward, she was moved to the cardiac unit for STEMI.
Respond to the following questions regarding Case Study 27. Note that this is a formally written analysis. Your responses should be in complete sentences and paragraph form. Do not repeat the question, just label your responses with the appropriate number.
1. An ECG of Martha’s heart demonstrated an elevated ST segment. What are the physiologic effects of myocardial ischemia that produce this finding? What variables affect the ECG tracing of a patient with ACS?
2. What are the benefits of administering fibrinolytic therapy, nitroglycerin, and oxygen in the early management of STEMI?
3. What is the inflammatory response in the post-infarction recovery period? Why will Martha’s heart function be compromised after her STEMI?
Worth 25 points. Refer to the Case Study Rubric for grading criteria. Your responses will be evaluated for appropriate writing style and depth of discussion. Avoid brief Q & A responses. Your analysis will be in essay format, and there is no need to repeat the discussion questions in your response. Submit your case analysis in the text box provided or as a file upload. Be sure to review the rubric for grading criteria to make sure that you are covering the analysis in the depth expected.
Your case analysis should include the following:
The title of the case
Your responses and discussion of the questions posed. Be sure to go beyond briefly answering the questions. Each prompt should be discussed in a separate paragraph.
Include in text citations for each response paragraph.
