Which instruction should the nurse include in discharge teaching for a patient who recently had a STEMI?

Which instruction should the nurse include in discharge teaching for a patient who recently had a STEMI?

• A. Adhere to metoprolol
• B. Stop all medications
• C. Increase salt intake
• D. Avoid follow-up appointments

Answer: (A)

Post–STEMI care hinges on preventing further myocardial injury and dangerous rhythm problems, and a beta-blocker like metoprolol plays a central role in that plan. Metoprolol lowers heart rate and blood pressure, reduces myocardial oxygen demand, and helps stabilize the heart’s electrical activity, all of which decrease the risk of reinfarction and improve survival after a heart attack. Because of these benefits, instructions at discharge should emphasize taking metoprolol exactly as prescribed and not stopping it abruptly, even if you feel better. It’s important to monitor for side effects such as slow pulse, dizziness, or fatigue, and contact a clinician if these occur. While ongoing follow-up and other preventive meds (like aspirin or statins) are also part of comprehensive post-MI care, the key instruction here is adherence to metoprolol to protect recovery and long-term outcomes. Stopping all medications, increasing salt intake, or skipping follow-up would undermine recovery and safety.

Post–STEMI care hinges on preventing further myocardial injury and dangerous rhythm problems, and a beta-blocker like metoprolol plays a central role in that plan. Metoprolol lowers heart rate and blood pressure, reduces myocardial oxygen demand, and helps stabilize the heart’s electrical activity, all of which decrease the risk of reinfarction and improve survival after a heart attack. Because of these benefits, instructions at discharge should emphasize taking metoprolol exactly as prescribed and not stopping it abruptly, even if you feel better. It’s important to monitor for side effects such as slow pulse, dizziness, or fatigue, and contact a clinician if these occur. While ongoing follow-up and other preventive meds (like aspirin or statins) are also part of comprehensive post-MI care, the key instruction here is adherence to metoprolol to protect recovery and long-term outcomes. Stopping all medications, increasing salt intake, or skipping follow-up would undermine recovery and safety.