The pervasive influences that drive change

The pervasive influences that drive change Change is defined as pervasive influence, where all aspects are subject to continual change of one form or another (Mullins, 2005 , p.909). Also, change is an inescapable part of both social and organizational life. The concept of organizational change is in regard to organization-wide change, as opposed to smaller changes such as adding a new person, modifying a program. Examples of organization-wide change might include a change in mission, restructuring operations, new technologies, mergers, major collaborations, and rightsizing. Change in organizational strategy is an attempt to alter the organization`s alignment with its environment. Organization change might also focus on any of the basic components of organization structure or on the organization whole design. The Nature and Causes of Resistance to change Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many cases there is not a disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their ability to adapt to it. Forces of Change The general environment is parted in to different dimensions: the international, the economic, te technological, the socio-cultural and the political-legal dimension. External Forces External forces for change originate outside the organization. Because these forces have global effects, they may cause an organization to question the essence of what business it is in and the process by which products and services are produced. There are four key external forces for change: demographic characteristics, technological advancements, social and political pressures. Each component is discussed below: Demographic Characteristics The workforce is more diverse and there is a business imperative to effectively manage diversity. So, organizations need to effectively manage diversity if they are to receive maximum contribution and commitment from employees. Technological Advancements Technological changes are becoming increasingly important to many organizations, because of the rapid rate of all technological innovation. One major area of change involves equipment, thus a change in work processes or work activities may be necessary. Social factor Nearly all of the issues in change efforts revolve around people. You can change technologies, but unless people support the new systems, problems are bound to crop up. No matter how good a change seems on paper, if nobody will support it, it`s probably not good idea. Political Pressures Political events can create substantial change. Although it is difficult for organizations to predict changes in political forces, many organizations hire lobbyists and consultants to help them detect and respond to social and political changes. Internal Forces These forces for change come from inside the organization and may be subtle, such as low morale, or can manifest in outward signs, such as low productivity and conflict. Internal forces for change come from human resource problems and managerial behaviour (decisions). Levels of Change Mullins, (2005) argues that, change can be studied in terms of its effects at individual, society, group, organization, national and international level. However, because of this, change at any one level is interrelated with changes at other level, and it is hard to study one area of change in isolation. For example, when HSBC decided to embark on using new modern banking technology, it also embarked on training its staff on how to use that technology and its importance in their day to day activities, otherwise that technology could not help if employees could not support it or if that technology could not be friendly trough the costumers. In addition, Hersey, (2006) discussed levels of change by identifying four levels: knowledge change, attitude change, individual behaviour change and organizational or group performance change. Hersey ,Robbins, (1990) commented on group and individual change, he argued that, at individual level, the change attempts is to affect an employee behaviour, through either training , socialization and counselling as strategies the management can use when they target at individual change. In that case of group change, he argued that, interventions such as sensitivity training, survey feedback and process consultation are some of strategies the management can use if it targets to group change. TYPES OF CHANGE There are two kinds of change according to Robbins, (1990), are unplanned change and planned change. Unplanned Change This change, is that change which can just happen, for instance, when managing director of certain company decides to resign immediately, is a type of unplanned change to the board of directors, as they are force to find another managing director as early as possible to run their company. Planned Change Planned change otherwise, is those changes which organization knows about: where are objective is to keep the organization viable and current. Mullins, (2005) argues that, most planned change is triggered by the need to respond to new challenges or opportunities presented by the in anticipation of the need to cope with potential future problems or external environment. It represents an intentional attempt to improve, in some way, the operational effectiveness of the organization. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Resistance is any conduct that serves to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo. According to Goldberg (1999), individuals are not really resisting the change, but rather that may be resisting the loss of status, loss of pay, or comfort. They believe that it is time that we dispense with the phrase resistance to change and find a more useful and appropriate types for describing what the phrase has come to mean that employees are not wholeheartedly embracing a change that management wants to implement In present economy, change is all-pervasive in organizations. It happens continuously, and often at rapid speed. Because change has become an everyday part of organizational dynamics, employees who resist change can actually cripple an organization. (Mullins, 2005) Folgers Skarlicki (1999) claim that organizational change can generate scepticism and resistance in employees, making it sometimes difficult or impossible to implement organizational improvements. Resistance is an inevitable response to any major change. Individuals naturally rush to defend the status quo if they feel their security or status is threatened. Why People Resist change in the workplace In recent days, companies, government department and institutions, whether public or private, are no longer have a choice, they must change to survive. Unfortunately, people tend to resist change. It is hard to change an organization, let alone an individual. This puts increased pressure on management to learn the subtleties of change. Employees and managers view change differently; top level management sees change as an opportunity to strengthen the business and to advance in their career, but for many employees, including middle managers, change is never sought after or welcomed: it is intrusive and disruptive. The below 10 reasons are the best describe why some people resist change. Fear of failure Resistance to change can be rooted in fear. Some employees may feel the need to cling to the past because it was a more secure, predictable time, during periods of change. If what they did in the past worked well for them, they can resist changing their behaviour out of fear that they will not achieve as much in the future. Creatures of habit Doing things in the same routine, predictable manner is comfortable. Asking people to change the way they operate or think is asking them to move outside their comfort zone. We have always done it this way, so why do we need to change? becomes the rallying cry for people who have difficulty changing their routines. In some cases, employees may deny or ignore the change simply because it requires them to experience something beyond their normal method of operation. No obvious need Some employees may see a change only from the perspective of the impact it has on them and their particular jobs. They may fail to recognize the positive impact of the change on the organization as a whole, not seeing the big picture. Thus they may find the change disruptive and totally unnecessary. Their attitude may be, if it is not broke, why fix it? Loss of control Familiar routines help employees develop a sense of control over their work environment. Being asked to change the way they operate may make employees feel powerless and confused. Concern about support system Changing the organizational structures may shake their confidence in their support system. They may worry about working for a new supervisor, with new employees or on familiar projects because they fear that if they try and fail, there will be no one there to support them. Closed mind Some employees seem to have the attitude , please do not confuse me with any facts or supporting documentation about this change: I have already made up my mind! employees with this attitude approach the change process with their minds firmly made up, muttering , no way! during discussions and explanations of the future. Unwillingness to learn Some employees, hesitant to try new routines, express unwillingness to learn anything new. They may say, I already know all that I need to know. Like resistant employees who have already made up their minds that the change will not be productive, employees reluctant to learn something new impede the organization`s growth and adaptation to change. They also hinder their own personal growth and development. Fear that the new way may not be better If things have been going wall, some employees may resist change because they fear that the change will not result in improvement. Focusing only on their part of the operation, they fail to realize that change is needed in order for the organization to stay competitive. Their current status is quite sufficient, and they wish to maintain business as usual. Fear of the unknown Employees can resist change simply because it is something unfamiliar. Not knowing much about the specifics of the change, they may imagine a worst case scenario, which might be very scary. They let fear of the unknown become their rationale for not giving the change a change. These employees may acknowledge that a problem exists and agree that a change might improve it. However, they worry that the proposed change might actually make things worse. Their fear causes them to place roadblocks in the movement toward change. Fear of personal impact Uncertainty is the biggest of employee resistance to change. In the face of impending change, employees may become anxious and nervous. They may worry about their ability to meet new job demands, they may think that their job security is threatened, or they may simply dislike ambiguity. UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING REDUCE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE It is important for managers to learn to manage resistance because failed change efforts are costly. Costs include decreased employee loyalty, lowered probability of achieving corporate goals, a waste of money and resources, and difficulty in fixing the failed change effort. Involving people from the beginning, clearly explaining the reasons for the change, having a clear strategy, direction, and vision, and respecting the viewpoints of other people are all parts of the process. Using strategic measurement can also be way of building support. Starting out with a problem, and working other people to come up with a solution, can be far more effective than proposing a specific solution and trying to rationalize it. People often do not like change they cannot control. However, if they lead or have a substantial influence on change, they are more likely to embrace it. As the leader, you must take the time to understand resistance and you may have to come at it from several different angles before it is conquered. You must understand what your employees are feeling, as well as thinking. Ways to reduce resistance to change: Involve interested parties in the planning of change by asking them for suggestions and incorporating their ideas. Clearly define the need for the change by communicating the strategic decision personally and in written form. Address the people needs of those involved. Disrupt only what needs to be changed. Help people retain friendships, comfortable settings and group norms wherever possible. Design flexibility into change by phasing it in wherever possible. This will allow people to complete current efforts and assimilate new behaviours along the way. Allow employees to redefine their roles during the course of implementing change. Be open and honest. Do not leave openings for people to return to the status quo. If you and your organization are not ready to commit yourselves to the change, dont announce the strategy. Focus continually on the positive aspects of the change. Be specific where you can. Deliver training programs that develop basic skills as opposed to processes such as: conducting meetings, communication, teambuilding, self-esteem, and coaching. OVERCOMING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Employee resistance to change is a complex issue facing management in the complex and ever-evolving organization of today. The process of change is ubiquitous, and employee resistance has been identified as a critically important contributor to the failure of many well-intend and well-conceived efforts to initiate change within the organization. To close those gaps, managers should know how to face and overcome resistance to change. Although there are no certain solutions, several techniques at least have the potential to decrease or eliminate this resistance. There are three key conclusions that should be kept in mind before recommending specific approaches to overcome resistance. Firstly, an organization must be ready for change. Just as a table must be set before you can eat, so must an organization be ready for change before it can be effective. It is better to use survey to evaluate if a company is ready to undertake a change effort. Secondly, organizational change is less successful when top management fails to keep employees informed about the process of change. Thirdly, employees perceptions or interpretations of a change significantly affect resistance. Employees are less likely to resist when they perceive that the benefits as a change overshadow the personal costs. At a minimum then, managers are advised to provide as much information as possible to employees about the change, inform employees about the reasons rationale for the change, and provide employees the opportunity to discuss how the proposed change might affect them. CONCLUDING REMARKS In many cases, vast amounts of resources are expended by organizations to adjust employees to a new way of achieving desired goals. The natural propensity for individuals to defend the status quo presents a set of challenges that management must overcome in order to bring about desired change. Management must also seriously take into account and consider the myriad of problems that may result if they are not responsive to issues of resistance in workplace. Generally, whatever the changes inside an organization might be, and whatever the reasons that made these changes necessary, a good way of implementing the changes successfully is for a manager to treat the participation and communication with his employees as integral parts of the change process.

Popular Music Essay -- Entertainment

Introduction Popular music is popular afresh, and it’s everywhere. Whether it’s the idols, the stars, the competitors or the academy, the burst music industry has not ever flaunted itself to such a large extent. But how can we mark burst music? Where is its place? Many would contend that it pertains sorely littered over the levels of teenager’s bedrooms worldwide. Others would state it is most at home recorded on the bank balance of a foremost multinational organisation. An allotment of persons would assert that burst music has no home, and is just a fad commended by the culturally inept, those who are only adept of enjoying a pre-formatted, formulaic merchandise of the ‘culture industry’. Or is it infects a varied and creative occurrence, permitting a communally and culturally wealthy expression? Maybe burst music will not ever be ‘pigeon holed’ as such, but I wish to recognise the contentions surrounding popular music and work out its location ins ide popular culture and inside up to date society (Shanahan 2001). Discussion The subject of burst music appears to have been thinly affected on by numerous writers when conversing about popular culture, but no one have theorised on the theme as much as Theodora Adorn. Adorno’s set about, which is compelled very powerful by its Marxist leanings, is founded mostly on facts of 1930s Germany, and subsequently, the United States when The Frankfurt School re-located to New York in 1933. Adorno converses about popular music as a merchandise of ‘the culture industry’, a formulaic and obstinate master-plan to which all burst music adheres. He proposed that burst music† hears for the listener† and is â€Å" pre-digested â€Å" and he nearly collaborates with Marcuse’s idea of ‘The One-Dimensi... ...ustry. Journal of Cultural Economics 6 2, pp. 11–25. Bloom, Allan David, 2004. The Closing of the American Mind. , Simon and Shuster,, New York. Clyne, Manfred, 2006. Music, Mind, and Brain. , Plenum Press,, New York. Coase, Ronald, 2006. Payola in radio and television broadcasting. Journal of Law and Economics 22 2, pp. 269–328. Levy, David and Feigenbaum, Susan, 2006. Death, debt, and democracy. In: Buchanan, J.M. et al.. Deficit, Blackwell,, Oxford, pp. 236–262. Peterson, R.A. and Berger, D.G., 2004. Cycles, in symbol production: The case of popular music. American Sociological Review 40, pp. 158–173. Shanahan, J.L., 2001. The consumption of music: Integrating aesthetics and economics. Journal of Cultural Economics 2 2, pp. 13–26 Whitburn, Joel, 2003. Pop memories, 1890–1954, The History of American Popular Music. , Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls. Popular Music Essay -- Entertainment Introduction Popular music is popular afresh, and it’s everywhere. Whether it’s the idols, the stars, the competitors or the academy, the burst music industry has not ever flaunted itself to such a large extent. But how can we mark burst music? Where is its place? Many would contend that it pertains sorely littered over the levels of teenager’s bedrooms worldwide. Others would state it is most at home recorded on the bank balance of a foremost multinational organisation. An allotment of persons would assert that burst music has no home, and is just a fad commended by the culturally inept, those who are only adept of enjoying a pre-formatted, formulaic merchandise of the ‘culture industry’. Or is it infects a varied and creative occurrence, permitting a communally and culturally wealthy expression? Maybe burst music will not ever be ‘pigeon holed’ as such, but I wish to recognise the contentions surrounding popular music and work out its location ins ide popular culture and inside up to date society (Shanahan 2001). Discussion The subject of burst music appears to have been thinly affected on by numerous writers when conversing about popular culture, but no one have theorised on the theme as much as Theodora Adorn. Adorno’s set about, which is compelled very powerful by its Marxist leanings, is founded mostly on facts of 1930s Germany, and subsequently, the United States when The Frankfurt School re-located to New York in 1933. Adorno converses about popular music as a merchandise of ‘the culture industry’, a formulaic and obstinate master-plan to which all burst music adheres. He proposed that burst music† hears for the listener† and is â€Å" pre-digested â€Å" and he nearly collaborates with Marcuse’s idea of ‘The One-Dimensi... ...ustry. Journal of Cultural Economics 6 2, pp. 11–25. Bloom, Allan David, 2004. The Closing of the American Mind. , Simon and Shuster,, New York. Clyne, Manfred, 2006. Music, Mind, and Brain. , Plenum Press,, New York. Coase, Ronald, 2006. Payola in radio and television broadcasting. Journal of Law and Economics 22 2, pp. 269–328. Levy, David and Feigenbaum, Susan, 2006. Death, debt, and democracy. In: Buchanan, J.M. et al.. Deficit, Blackwell,, Oxford, pp. 236–262. Peterson, R.A. and Berger, D.G., 2004. Cycles, in symbol production: The case of popular music. American Sociological Review 40, pp. 158–173. Shanahan, J.L., 2001. The consumption of music: Integrating aesthetics and economics. Journal of Cultural Economics 2 2, pp. 13–26 Whitburn, Joel, 2003. Pop memories, 1890–1954, The History of American Popular Music. , Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls.

Critical Responce Essay Essay

A Sound of Thunder and Nethergrave were two both amazing Stories. I loved them both, but there was one story that stood out above the other. This one particular story was Nethergrave. Nethergrave was an amazing lit up story it literally caught my attention immediately, it was so interesting and good it caught my eye at the very beginning. A Sound of Thunder was also an amazing story but I loved Nethergrave a bit more because it was more of one of those stories that just grabbed my attention. The main thought in my head while I was reading A sound of Thunder was why is the story called A sound of thunder that thought just kept running thru my mind but when I got to finish it I understood it and It was a great story. Nethergrave was basically about a boy who Felt All Alone and just wanted somebody to talk to make jokes with and play around with and that is why he lied to his friends on the internet probably because he wanted them to think he was cool and not some skinny kid who had no friends at all. This story was a good learning experience for me because It can teach someone don’t be afraid to tell the truth even if someone cant except you for who you are that’s their loss because you are probably a great person. Jeremy knew that that other kids didn’t want to be his friends so he met some online friends and they were nice to him because they did not know about the real him and he didn’t know about the real them. Basically what the story is saying is be yourself and don’t lie to be accepted. This was an amazing story and I loved it.

Catalase Lab essays

Catalase Lab essays The two purposes of this experiment were to see the effect of enzyme concentration on enzyme activity and to see the effect of temperature on enzyme activity. Enzymes are the most important part of living cells. Cells cant work or carry out there jobs without them. Enzymes act like catalysts in living cells. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions but remain unchanged by it. Enzymes are made of protein. Enzymes are sometimes called enzyme catalysts. There is a specific enzyme for every chemical reaction in the body. The chemicals that enzymes react in are called substrates. An enzyme performs its effect by combining temporarily with its substrate. As a result, a substrate becomes more reactive. The rate of the formation of products increases. Catalase is present in most cells and high concentrations are found in liver and blood cells. Hydrogen peroxide is formed as a by-product of cellular respiration in cells but water is the most common one. Hydrogen peroxide is toxic and would kill cells if it were not immediately broken down or removed. So toxic accumulation does not happen, catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This reaction is very fast. Each catalase is capable of converting 5,000,000 molecules of hydrogen peroxide per minute at 0Â ° C. I predict that the increase in temperature will effect the enzyme activity by making it higher because our bodies function better at a high temperature so it makes sense that the enzymes that are in us would. I f my prediction is correct, I will have proved that enzyme activity is higher at higher temperatures. I also predict that more concentration of enzymes will result in higher enzyme activity. If my predictions are correct, I will have proved that enzyme activity is higher with higher enzyme concentration. See lab handout entitled Investigating the Enzyme, Catalase. ...

Using the Spanish Verb Seguir

Using the Spanish Verb Seguir The verb seguir carries with it the idea of to continue or to follow, but it can be used in a variety of ways that have other translations to English. Using Seguir by Itself Standing alone, seguir typically means to go on or to continue: A 20 bajo cero la vida sigue. (At 20 below life goes on.) ¡Sigue!  ¡Puedes hacerlo! (Keep it up! You can do it!)Estaba sana fisicamente, pero la depresià ³n seguà ­ y seguà ­a. (She was physically healthy, but the depression dragged on and on.) Using Seguir With Gerunds Seguir is most commonly used to precede the gerund, where it functions as a type of auxiliary verb meaning to continue or to keep on. In this way it is forms a type of progressive tense: Tengo un crà ©dito por minivan usada y no la puedo seguir pagando. (I have a loan for a used minivan and I cant continue paying for it.)Siguià ³ corriendo a pesar del dolor. (He kept on running despite the pain.)Cuando tenga la oportunidad, seguirà © estudiando inglà ©s. (When I have the opportunity, I will continue studying English.)Siga aprendiendo. (Keep on learning.)La cantante chilena sigue rompiendo sus propios rà ©cords. (The Chilean singer keeps on breaking her own records.)Seguà ­a pensando en el tiempo perdido en pensar en el tiempo que pierdo. (She kept on thinking about the time lost thinking about the time lost.) Such sentences frequently carry the connotation of to still be (verb ing): El actor sigue buscando la felicidad. (The actor is still looking for happiness.)Sà ­, sigue nevando afuera. (Yes, its still snowing outside.)Sigo tratando de fotografiar a mi gato, pero no me deja. (Im still trying to take a picture of my cat, but hes not letting me.) Following Seguir With an Adjective When seguir is followed by an adjective, the meaning of to still be (adjective) also is common: Cynthia sigue feliz con su esposo. (Cynthia is still happy with her husband.(Si la situacià ³n sigue difà ­cil durante tres o cuatro meses, algunas operaciones se cancelarn. (If the situation is still difficult for three or four months, some operations will be canceled.)Ella se siente feliz, pero sigue asustada. (She feels happy, but shes still afraid.)Hoy amanecà ­ un poco mejor, pero de todas maneras sigo triste. (Today I got up a little bit better, but in any case Im still sad.) Prepositional Phrases Using Seguir Similarly, seguir en commonly means to still be in: El piloto espaà ±ol sigue en coma. (The Spanish pilot is still in a coma.)Mucha gente sigue en vacaciones y llegan hasta las clases de maà ±ana. (Many people are still on vacation and will arrive in classes tomorrow.)Seguirà © en contacto contigo, te lo prometo. (I promise you, Ill still be in touch with you.) Seguir sin often means to still be without. An infinitive often follows, making a sentence construction quite unlike what is used to say the same thing in English: Un tercio de la capital sigue sin electricidad. (A third of the capital is still without electricity.)Seguimos sin reconocer los culpables de la crisis. (We still dont recognize who is responsible for the crisis.)Siguen sin pagarme. (They still arent paying me.)Siguieron sin hacer nada productivo. (They still hadnt done anything productive).Hay algunas cosas de mi madre que sigo sin entender. (There are some things about my mother that I still dont understand.) Using Seguir With a Direct Object One common meaning of seguir is to follow, either literally or figuratively, especially when seguir is used with a direct object: A mi casa me siguià ³ un perrito. (A puppy followed me home.)No me sigas, no tengo la menor idea de lo que hago. (Dont follow me, I dont have the least idea what Im doing.)Sigue las instrucciones que te vamos a dar. (Follow the instructions that we are going to give you.)Hay nivel para principiantes de Guitar Hero donde sà ³lo se necesita seguir el ritmo. (There is a level for Guitar Hero beginners where all you have to do is follow the rhythm.) Conjugating Seguir Note that seguir is conjugated irregularly. Unlike many irregular verbs, which change in their endings, seguir usually changes in the stem when it breaks the pattern. For example, its gerund is siguiendo, not the seguiendo you might expect. Seguir is irregular in all of its subjunctive form as well as present and preterite indicative. The forms for the present indicative are: sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguis, siguen. Irregular forms are in boldface. Key Takeaways In many situations, seguir can be translated as to continue or informally as to keep on.Seguir often carries the connotation that something has been happening for longer than might be expected or desired.Seguir is an irregularly conjugated verb.

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

International Business - Essay Example 264). The barriers to international investment and trade have decreased, and there exists enormous markets for goods and services. Companies from different nations are investing into many countries at an unprecedented scale, and the competition is increasing and becoming intense. The mangers now need to understand the competition from an international perspective, and consider how globalization is affecting their companies’ abilities to compete with other companies, and the strategies they need to adopt so as to exploit the unfolding opportunities and deal with any competitive barrier (Hill & Jones 2007, p. 264). Historical background to globalization of production and markets The past half of the 20th century has resulted into dramatic lowering of barriers to international investment and trade. For example, the average tariff rate on goods manufactured and traded between advanced nations continues to decrease from 40% to 4 %. Similarly, governments have removed regulations th at prohibit foreign companies from entering into domestic markets or establishing production facilities or acquiring domestic companies. The two developments have resulted into an increase in the volume of the foreign direct investment and international trade. The volume of the world goods continues to grow faster than the world economy since 1950. From the year 1970-2005, the volume of world merchandise traded throughout the world continues to surpass the expansion of world production. Additionally, between the year 1992- 2005, the world trade value increased by 140%, the world output by 40% and the total flow of foreign direct investment globally increased by over 500%. These trends have resulted into the globalization of production and the globalization of markets (Hill & Jones 2007, p. 265). Globalization of Production Globalization of production is the tendency by many companies to source goods and services from different countries around the world so as to benefit from the exi sting differences in the quality and the cost of factors of production such as energy, land, capital and labor. Through globalization of markets, companies reduce risks and cost and compete effectively with other companies (Weng Feng Xiang 2009, p. 9). Companies establish globally organized production system so as to integrate production activities across many countries. Globally organized production also refers to global commodity chains and is of two types: Produce driven chain and Buyer driven chain. The Producer-driven chain is responsible for coordination of production networks across countries as in the production of computers. Buyer driven chains comprise of large footwear and clothing manufacturers and large retailers. Companies establish the chains in low wage economies to produce low-cost goods that have brands to represent the manufacture or retailer. A good example of a buyer driven chain in the world is the Nike Company (Needle 2010, p.19). The globalization of producti on increases as companies take advantage of decreasing barriers to international investment and trade to disperse crucial aspects of their production process throughout the world. For example, foreign companies built 30% of the Boeing Company commercial jet aircrafts (777). The Boeing Company is pushing the outsourcing of its jet airliner 777 model further to foreign companies (65%), 35% to three Japanese companies and 20% to Singapore, Italy and the United Kingdom. The reason behind outsourcing by

How Is Angina Diagnosed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Is Angina Diagnosed - Essay Example Prior to the management of unstable angina it is crucial to diagnose the problem. Unstable angina can be diagnosed by means of clinical presentation of patient and by the measurement of certain biochemical markers. Cardiac troponin and myoglobin are valid diagnostic markers (Kumar and Clark, 2012). The main tool used in diagnosis of unstable angina is the clinical presentation of the patient. The patients complain of chest pain, chest pain may occur at rest or while exertion. The patient feels chest pain which radiates to the shoulder, arm, jaw, neck or the back. A feeling of discomfort might be felt by patient, and they might describe it like tightness in the chest. Dyspnea and sweating are also the possible symptoms of unstable angina (Kumar and Clark, 2012). On physical examination the patient is usually normal. Elder patients and women present with rare symptoms such as weakness, nausea, lightheadedness and diaphoresis (Sami et al, 2010). Electrocardiography plays a vital role is assessing unstable angina. It is a good prognostic tool for physicians to make decisions for patients who are at high risk for coronary syndromes. The 12 lead electrocardiogram is used for the diagnosis. For instance if a patient with symptoms of angina comes to the ER, physicians should do an ECG as soon as possible to rule out the underlying problem. In unstable angina the findings on an electrocardiogram include ST-segment depression, brief ST-segment elevation and inversion of T-wave. The ST-segment elevation in two continuous leads as a confirmation for acute myocardial infarction (Kumar and Cannon, 2009). Measurement of cardiac biomarkers is done in patients with acute coronary syndromes. The cardiac troponins are highly specific and sensitive in marking myocardial injury. Cardiac troponins have taken over CK-MB. The major disadvantage in using cardiac troponin is that it starts to rise in the patient after about 6 hours of the appearance of the symptoms (Kumar and