A 68-year-old patient is admitted to the critical care unit with reports of midchest pressure radiating into the jaw and shortness of breath when walking up stairs.The patient is admitted with a diagnosis of "rule out myocardial infarction." The history portion of the assessment should be guided by

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For a patient in acute distress, the history taking is shortened to just a few questions about the patient's chief complaint, precipitating events, and current medications.For a patient who is not in obvious distress, the history focuses on the following four areas: review of the patient's present illness; overview of the patient's general cardiovascular status; review of the patient's general health status, including family history of coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or stroke; and survey of the patient's lifestyle, including risk factors for CAD.

A 68-Year-Old Patient Is Admitted to the Critical Care Unit