Time-honored treatments for the initial management of acute coronary syndromes: Challenging the status quo

Morphine, oxygen and nitrates are time-honored therapies for the initial management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The traditional goal of these agents in ACS has been to 1) relieve symptoms, 2) prevent infarction or limit its size, and 3) improve outcomes, both acutely and during follow-up. Despite their ongoing use in routine ACS care, nitrates, morphine and oxygen have no evidence of clinical outcomes benefit from randomized trials. Furthermore, emerging data have recently suggested that, in certain situations, morphine and oxygen may actually be associated with harm in the setting of ACS.
Source: Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research