Unstable angina. Pharmaceutical versus invasive therapy.
Because unstable angina is often a precursor of myocardial infarction or death, patients with chest pain that persists for more than 20 minutes and is refractory to sublingual nitroglycerin should be hospitalized in an intensive care unit and given appropriate pharmacologic therapy. If symptoms persist despite adequate management with drugs, coronary arteriography should be performed and consideration given to an invasive procedure, such as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting, for high-risk conditions. If necessary, the invasive procedure should be delayed until the patient's condition has stabilized.
Sections of Cardiology and of Hypertension and Vascular Diseases, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta.
L M
LM
Prisant
J L
JL
Houghton
P B
PB
Bottini
A A
AA
Carr
D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index