Posted: August 16th, 2017

When the patient with known angina pectoris complains that he is experiencing chest pain more frequently even at rest, the period of pain is longer, and it takes less stress for the pain to occur, the nurse recognizes that the patient is describing

When the patient with known angina pectoris complains that he is experiencing chest pain more frequently even at rest, the period of pain is longer, and it takes less stress for the pain to occur, the nurse recognizes that the patient is describing
a) unstable angina.
Unstable angina is also called crescendo or pre-infarction angina and indicates the need for a change in treatment.
b) intractable angina.
Intractable or refractory angina produces severe, incapacitating chest pain that does not respond to conventional treatment.
c) variant angina.
Variant angina is described as pain at rest with reversible ST-segment elevation and is thought to be caused by coronary artery vasospasm.
d) refractory angina.
Intractable or refractory angina produces severe, incapacitating chest pain that does not respond to conventional treatment.