A patient who has chest pain is admitted to the ED, and all the following diagnostic tests are ordered. Which one will the nurse arrange to be completed first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The priority for the patient is to determine whether an AMI is occurring so that reperfusion therapy can begin as quickly as possible. ECG changes occur very rapidly after coronary artery occlusion. Troponin levels will increase after about 3 hours. Data from the CT scan and chest x-ray may impact the patient's care but are not helpful in determining whether the patient is experiencing an MI.

A Patient Who Has Chest Pain Is Admitted to the ED