Question

Your patient is complaining of severe chest pain and dyspnea. During your assessment, the patient becomes semiconscious and diaphoretic. The monitor is showing a tachycardic rhythm with a rate greater than 150 beats per min. You should:

Answer 1

In a medical emergency where a patient presents with severe chest pain, dyspnea, and tachycardia, priority actions include assessment of airway, breathing, and circulation, administration of oxygen, intravenous access, ECG, biomarkers collection, and rapid transport to emergency care.

Step-by-step explanation:

If your patient is experiencing severe chest pain and dyspnea, becomes semiconscious and diaphoretic, and is showing a tachycardic rhythm with a rate greater than 150 beats per minute, you should suspect a serious condition such as an acute myocardial infarction (MI) or another cardiac issue. Immediate assessment and intervention are critical.

After ensuring the ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation), the next steps would typically involve administering oxygen, obtaining intravenous access, and preparing to provide cardiac life support measures, which may include defibrillation if indicated. A 12-lead ECG should be performed to look for signs of ischemia or infarction and to further clarify the tachycardia.

Cardiac biomarkers may also be collected to assess for heart damage. It is essential to transport the patient to the emergency department as rapidly as possible for further evaluation and treatment. Remember that differential diagnosis is essential as symptoms might overlap with other conditions.