D-ribose is administered to patients suffering an acute myocardial infarction during first response care, in order to prevent cardiac compromise. In those patients able to ingest fluids, two to five grams of D-ribose is administered orally. In a patients unable to ingest fluids, or in a patient with and intravenous line, pyrogen-free D-ribose is administered intravenously at a rate of 50-300 mg/kg/hour.