Beta Blockers After Myocardial Infarction Clinical Scenario The acute care nurse practitioner on the cardiology service treats a 67 year-old-male admitted after recovering from an acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). His risk factors include obesity, Type II diabetes mellitus, and family history. Upon exam the patient asks why he has not been started on a beta blocker yet. He explains further that when his brother had a “heart attack” in 2005, he was immediately placed on a beta blocker because the cardiologist reported how beta blockers reduce mortality after myocardial infarction (MI). The patient wants to know if a beta blocker would reduce his chance of mortality? Using the Patient-Intervention-Comparator-Outcome (PICO) format we formulated the following question. In a 67-year-old male with multiple co-morbidities with MI (P), does treatment with a beta blocker (I), compared with no beta blocker or placebo (O), reduce mortality rate (O)? Risk Factors, Incidence and Prevalence of Disease * US incidence rates of cardiovascular disease, including MI, are seen in men more than women (Alexander et al., 2007). This trend is also true in Utah ("Impact of heart," 2007). * The incidence rates of cardiovascular disease increase with age (Alexander et al., 2007). * Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include not eating enough fruits and vegetables, lack of physical exercise, smoking cigarettes and the co-morbidities of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity ("CDC national heart," 2010). * The clinical scenario patient was at high MI risk being male, over 65, diabetic and obese.
Article Critiques * The following primary article critiques were based on the CONSORT statement (2010). Primary Article One Article selection and evidence. * The article by Chen et al. (2005) was selected because it was the only