Abstract
The effect of changes in position (supine to lateral) on the hemodynamics of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during the acute phase were observed.
Blood pressure and heart rate were measured automatically with blood pressure and heart rate monitors in 61 patients with AMI. Measurements were taken during each of three positions; supine, right lateral and left lateral, every 5 minutes. The measurements were carried out from 0.6 to 55 hours (mean 17.0) after CCU admission.
Pressure-rate product (PRP) and systolic blood pressure (sBP) did not change significantly in the three positions. However, sBP decreased by more than 15% in 6 patients. This was considered due to hemodynamic instability from neurohumoral dysregulation. In addition, 78.7% of patients complained of lumbago in the supine position.
These results suggest that nurses may safely change the postures of patients from supine to laleral to alleviate the patient's back pain, during the acute phase. However, care must be taken for the serious decrease in sBP in the lateral position.
