Cardiology clinics
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Parenterally administered narcotic analgesics are a critically important part of therapy for the patient with acute myocardial ischemic syndromes. These agents are very effective and, when used with appropriate caution and monitoring, are also generally safe. They not only relieve the sensation of severe pain but also reduce the effective and physiologic reaction to pain and thus reduce patient anxiety. ⋯ Thus, the hemodynamic effects of these agents may be quite different in patients with active pain during a period of acute ischemia, or in patients that are hemodynamically unstable. Hemodynamic studies during these acute settings, however, are extremely difficult to perform because the patient's acute distress mandates rapid administration of an analgesic agent prior to the institution of invasive monitoring. With these cautions relating to data interpretation in mind, it is still possible to make certain recommendations regarding the use of analgesic therapy in acute MI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)