A patient with known arteriosclerosis was outside doing lawn work when he started experiencing chest pain. Upon your arrival, the patient states that he has been resting and took a prescribed nitroglycerin tablet 5 minutes ago. The patient states that the pain is subsiding. You suspect:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's presentation is consistent with stable angina. The chest pain occurred during exertion (lawn work) and is relieved by rest and nitroglycerin, which is a hallmark of stable angina. The fact that the pain is subsiding is also a good sign that it is not unstable angina or myocardial infarction. Prinzmetal's angina is caused by vasospasm of the coronary arteries and is less likely given the patient's history of known arteriosclerosis.

A Patient with Known Arteriosclerosis Was Outside Doing Lawn Work