Acute MI: a review of pathophysiology, treatment, and complications

Few areas of clinical medicine have undergone advancements in the last decade as dramatic as those in the management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Nursing care of the AMI patient should be based on a comprehensive knowledge of the pathophysiology involved in order to intervene appropriately, understand medical therapies utilized, and anticipate complications. This article offers an in-depth review and update of the pathophysiology of AMI, current recommendations regarding management of the patient with acute infarction, and an overview of complications that still pose a threat to recovery in some patients.