A 60-year-old male patient is admitted with chest pain to the telemetry unit where you work. While having a bowel movement on the bedside commode, the patient becomes short of breath and diaphoretic. The ECG waveform shows bradycardia.
What other assessment findings should you anticipate?
Why does this patient probably have bradycardia?
Does this dysrhythmia need treatment? Why or why not? What intervention would you implement first?
What is the drug treatment and dosage of choice for symptomatic bradycardia? How does this drug increase heart rate?
