Angina

Angina pectoris is chest pain or discomfort caused by myocardial ischemia — a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and demand — without myocardial necrosis. It is the clinical presentation of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and a major warning sign for impending MI. Three main types: - Stable angina: predictable; provoked by exertion or emotional stress; relieved by rest or nitroglycerine within 5 minutes; caused by fixed atherosclerotic stenosis - Unstable angina (ACS): new-onset pain at rest, increasing frequency/severity, or pain not relieved by 3 nitroglycerin tablets; caused by plaque rupture with partial occlusion; medical emergency - Prinzmetal (variant/vasospastic) angina: occurs at rest, often at night; caused by coronary artery spasm; transient ST elevation during attacks; treated with CCBs and nitrates (NOT beta-blockers) For NCLEX-RN: differentiate stable from unstable, implement the nitroglycerine protocol correctly, know when to escalate. On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a...