How can you help reduce cardiac damage in a patient who is admitted to the hospital for mi?

Timing is everything: Keep the patient quiet, add platelet inhibitors, beta-blockers, nitrates, keep them out of pain, revascularize with angioplasty/stents or bypass if indicated. Decrease the ventricle work load with drugs and devices if needed.

More oxygen: Getting blood supply with oxygen to the affected areas is important. This can be done both with catheter based approaches and surgical based approaches. Reducing the work of the heart and oxygen consumption of the muscle is beneficial as well. All of this is why you have about a six hour window from the onset of the mi to restoration of blood flow to minimize the amount of damage.