A patient has suffered a myocardial infarction due to acute coronary syndrome. The emergency room physician has ordered bivalirudin in preparation for the patient undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). What is the most important symptom to watch for when a patient is receiving bivalirudin?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most important symptom to watch for when a patient is receiving bivalirudin is bleeding, bradycardia and hypotension. Bivalirudin is a direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) and does not have many of the complications of heparin such as heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and is indicated for use an as anticoagulant in patients having suffered a non ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

A Patient Has Suffered a Myocardial Infarction Due to Acute