Nurses can be catalysts to decreasing morbidity and mortality rates in women with acute coronary syndrome in two ways ("Typical and Atypical Symptoms,"Beats and Breaths, February). First, we need to be aware of the atypical symptoms in women so that we can treat them accordingly. Second, we should make it a priority to create an evidence-based classification system of typical symptoms in women with the syndrome so that a decline in mortality rates from heart disease in women is not merely a goal, but a reality.

Amy C. Martin

Brockton, MA