Final answer:
The medical assistant should administer sublingual nitroglycerin to a patient with myocardial infarction by placing the medication under the patient's tongue for quick absorption. Nitroglycerin acts as a vasodilator to improve blood flow to the heart, reducing chest pain and limiting damage.
Step-by-step explanation:
Administering Sublingual Nitroglycerin
When a patient is experiencing symptoms of a myocardial infarction (MI), immediate treatment is crucial. The medical assistant, following the provider's instructions, should administer sublingual nitroglycerin. This involves placing the nitroglycerin tablet or spray under the patient's tongue, ensuring quick absorption through the mucous membranes directly into the bloodstream. Nitroglycerin acts as a vasodilator, primarily through the release of nitric oxide, which relaxes the smooth muscle in the coronary vessels’ tunica media, thus improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to the heart muscle. This rapid administration can help alleviate chest pain and limit the extent of heart muscle damage during an MI.
It's important to note that nitroglycerin has been in use since the 1880s and is a well-established treatment for angina and MI, despite the incomplete understanding of its mechanism.
As part of the treatment protocol for MI, other options such as oxygen therapy, aspirin for antiplatelet activity, and long-term interventions like thrombolytic therapy, anticoagulation, angioplasty, or bypass surgery might be considered based on the individual case and extent of the cardiac event.