Conflicting answers on study sources...

[randomly]

Well, on Kaplan, for a lot of the MI questions, they seem to favor the option of administering morphine as priority because by relieving the pain, O2 demand is decreased.

The NCSBN review course puts administering O2 as the priority choice. Also in school, they would stress giving O2 first...

So which would take priority on the NCLEX exam?

[meghanlyn]

Luckily, I didn't have any questions like that on my exam but I found the same thing. I think you really need to read the question and just determine what the better option would be. When I was going through Kaplan I had stumbled across two different questions that I remember both about MI and the one answer was Morphine but for other question it was oxygen. When I compared the rationales for both I realized the stem of the question where the answer was O2 mentioned something specific about an increased # of respirations along with the pain associated with the MI. Hopefully that makes sense. I guess just focus on what the question is asking is all you can really do. I learned MONA in school like many others so I always want to pick Morphine just because it's what I learned.

[meghanlyn]

There's a thread on here somewhere discussing the same topic I think it's titled: Morphine or Oxygen? , I stumbled across it a few days ago so look through the first few pages here in this forum and you should find it and it might be more helpful.

[chare]

You should read Part 10: Acute Coronary Syndromes of the 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science.

These interventions are addressed in the Initial General Therapy for ACS section, in the following sequence: oxygen, aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, nitroglycerin (or glyceryl trinitrate), and analgesia. In my opinion, this also presents the proper sequence of administration.

[randomly]

Thank you both - I appreciate it. :)