ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES PART 1: NEW GUIDELINES AND THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS FOR UNSTABLE ANGINA AND NSTEMI (Part I of II)- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a potentially life-threatening form of coronary artery disease (CAD), accounts for over 1.4 million hospital admissions in the United States every year. About 9-19% of ACS patients die in the first 6 months after diagnosis, with about one-half of these deaths occurring within 30 days of diagnosis. Manifestations of ACS include unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction (ST-segment elevation MI [STEMI] and non-STEMI [NSTEMI]), and sudden cardiac death. Risk estimation is important for optimal patient care in ACS and risk assessment tools such as the TIMI and GRACE algorithms can assist in assessing the risk of death and ischemic events, thereby providing a basis for therapeutic decision making.
The management of ACS aims at immediate relief of ischemia, reduction in the size of infarct, and prevention of serious adverse events, including death, (recurrent) MI or severe ischemia, and arrhythmias. Antithrombotic therapies for patients with definite ACS include aspirin, thienopyridines, unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists and newer antiplatelet agents, antithrombins and fibrinolytics, and invasive therapies. Knowledge of specific drugs for acute, and long-term, management is important for optimizing the risk-benefit ratio
Review strategies for the diagnosis and risk stratification of unstable angina (UA), ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI), and non-ST-segment myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
Discuss the most recent recommendations for the initial management of patients with UA/NSTEMI or STEMI.
Utilize appropriate discharge medications for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients
Communicate with patients the need for long-term therapy to prevent recurrent thrombotic events after ACS.1.0 Free AANP CEUs for Nurse Practitioners which includes 0.5 Free Pharmacology Hours
Expires 10/6/15
This educational activity is supported by an educational grant from Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., and Lilly.