Final answer:
An EMS provider should administer oxygen to assist someone with breathing difficulty. Administering epinephrine is specific to allergic reactions, and elevating legs or making the patient lie down might not be the appropriate initial actions to take.
Step-by-step explanation:
To help a person who is having breathing difficulty, an EMS provider should administer oxygen if available and it is within their scope of practice. Elevating the patient's legs is not typically the first action to take as it can worsen breathing difficulties for some conditions. Making the patient lie down can be appropriate in certain circumstances, especially if the patient is at risk of losing consciousness, but it is not universally the right choice. Administering epinephrine is specific to situations such as anaphylactic reactions, and should only be done if the patient is known to have a severe allergy and the appropriate medication is prescribed and available.
In a different context such as rescue operations, EMS providers or firefighters might rescue victims from burning buildings, administer first aid, and use breathing apparatus. These actions depend on the specific emergency situation encountered.
For a patient suffering from an allergic reaction causing the airways to swell, epinephrine can be life-saving as it works to dilate blood vessels and reduce swelling, thus decreasing resistance in the respiratory system and making it easier for the patient to breathe.