Early complications after an acute myocardial infarction that nurses monitor for include which of the following?

• A. Recurrent chest pain
• B. Kidney dysfunction
• C. Skin rash
• D. Arrhythmias and heart failure/pulmonary edema

Answer: (D)

Early after a myocardial infarction, the heart is prone to electrical instability and reduced pumping ability. The most important problems nurses monitor for are arrhythmias and signs of heart failure with pulmonary edema. Ischemia and necrosis disrupt the heart’s conduction system, making dangerous rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or heart blocks more likely. Continuous ECG monitoring helps catch these quickly so treatment can be started right away. At the same time, damage to the left ventricle can impair its ability to pump effectively, causing fluid to back up into the lungs and lead to pulmonary edema. Look for increasing dyspnea, crackles on lung auscultation, rapid breathing, and signs of hypoxemia, and manage with diuretics, oxygen, and appropriate positioning and support. Recurrent chest pain can indicate ongoing ischemia, but the combination of rhythm disturbances and evolving heart failure/pulmonary edema best captures the key early post‑MI complications nurses actively watch for.