As the nurse caring for a patient who has suffered a myocardial infarction that has damaged the sinoatrial (SA)node,you should plan to monitor for which of the following potential complications? Select all that apply.
A) Decreased heart rate
B) Increased heart rate
C) Decreased cardiac output
D) Decreased strength of ventricular contractions

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Normally,the SA node is the primary pacemaker for the heart and initiates a rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute.If the SA node fails,the atrioventricular node can take over as the pacemaker,but it generally triggers a slower heart rate.Cardiac output will decrease as a result of the decrease in heart rate.Damage to the SA node interferes with the electrical activity of the heart but does not directly affect the pumping action of the heart.

As the Nurse Caring for a Patient Who Has Suffered