Randi Marchant, a 42-year-old waitress, was vacuuming the family room when she felt a pain in her chest again. She also felt like her heart was being squeezed. This was the third time today that she felt this pain and pressure, but this time, it really hurt. Feeling short of breath, she stubbed out the cigarette she had left smoldering
Randi Marchant, a 42-year-old waitress, was vacuuming the family room when she felt a pain in her chest again. She also felt like her heart was being squeezed. This was the third time today that she felt this pain and pressure, but this time, it really hurt. Feeling short of breath, she stubbed out the cigarette she had left smoldering in the half-filled ashtray by the couch. Randi’s husband, Jimmy, and stepdaughter Melonie had pestered her until she finally took time off work to see her doctor. Dr. Harris found that her blood pressure was 158/88. Randi told herself it was probably due to the noon rush stress at work and didn’t take it seriously, At least her cholesterol test was only 30 points above average this time. It had been slowly coming down, even though she cheated on her diet and ate lots of high-fat foods.
Another wave of pain tightened its icy fingers around her heart, and the pain moved up into both sides of her jaw. Randi thought, “Probably just heartburn.” (Randi often experienced episodes of heartburn.) “Since the pain doesn't radiate down my left arm, it couldn't be my heart, could it?”
“Don't think about the pain,” she told herself. “Think of something else. Melonie's prom dress needs altering.” But, overcome by pain, Randi fell to the floor, clutching her chest, just as Melonie walked in. She saw her stepmother slumped on the floor and screamed, “Oh my God! Help, somebody, help!”
- What information in the story indicates that Randi might be a candidate for heart disease? (In other words, what four risk factors does Randi have that make it more likely that she will has heart disease than someone else without those risk factors?)
- What three symptoms was Randi experiencing that indicated she might be having a heart attack?
- Assuming Randi stops breathing, what two things should Melonie do to try to save Randi's life? Why should she take these actions?
- Assuming that Randi is suffering a myocardial infarction (heart attack), why it is important that she receive appropriate treatment quickly? What type of immediate treatment might she receive? If she has a completely blocked coronary blood vessel, what medical treatment might she receive to reduce the risk of another heart attack?
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