The Evolution of the Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction: AEulogy to the Coronary Care Unit

Treatment of an acute myocardial infarction in the 1950s was bed rest at home. Hospitalization was used for comfort and pain control. The coronary care unit (CCU) concept began in the 1960s: electrocardiography monitoring, defibrillation and pacing would be carried out in 1 area. Treatment for ventricular fibrillation and complex arrhythmias was carried out by the CCU nurse and expanded to the paramedics for arrhythmia control and thrombolytic infusion. The CCU concept expanded the field of nursing, became the clinical laboratory for major breakthroughs in cardiac therapeutics, and was the stepping-stone to the currently invoked “heart team” approach.
Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research