Day 1 care in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

In 2007, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology updated their guidelines for the management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Based on evidence from recent clinical studies, both 2007 guidelines recommend early risk stratification, administration of appropriate pharmacologic therapy, and selective use of percutaneous coronary intervention in order to reduce morbidity and mortality in these patients. In this article, we focus on management of patients with NSTEMI during the first 24 h of presentation and present a clinical scenario to illustrate the current guidelines-based management strategy.