The patient no longer had chest pain and was determined not to have an acute myocardial infarction at that time . He was released to complete a follow-up stress test for his heart and encouraged to maintain regular visits with his primary care physician. He also learned about quitting smoking, diet and exercise. The patent stated: “I am 71 years old and I have no intention of changing my habits now. » Conclusion: This patient did not have a myocardial infarction. He is at increased risk in the future since he has coronary artery disease, HTN, and smokes a pack of cigars a day. Nurses use pathophysiology to understand disease progression in order to identify it and implement treatment for their patients. Nurses use the information they find to identify the next course of illness so they can provide their patients with the appropriate care they need. The medical procedures and medications that nurses administer to patients depend greatly on the nature of the problem.