Final answer:
To assist someone with breathing difficulty, EMS providers should administer oxygen, as it is crucial to maintain adequate oxygen supply to the body's organs. Other treatments like epinephrine or nitroglycerin are used for specific cases such as anaphylactic shock or myocardial infarctions, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
To help a person who is having breathing difficulty, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider should administer oxygen. This is due to the immediate necessity to ensure the person has an adequate oxygen supply. Administering oxygen can assist in ensuring that the body's vital organs, particularly the brain and muscles, receive enough oxygen to function properly. Oxygen therapy is often the first line of treatment in respiratory distress while assessing and treating any underlying causes.
Other options such as epinephrine are used in specific situations such as anaphylactic shock, where it counteracts severe allergic reactions by dilating blood vessels and increasing heart and respiratory rates. Similarly, nitroglycerin is particularly used in the case of Myocardial Infarction (MI), as it is a vasodilator that helps in relieving chest pain by increasing the blood flow to the heart muscle. However, without signs of a heart attack or severe allergy, these are not appropriate for someone simply experiencing difficulty breathing.