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A 62-year-old female with a history of heart problems and diabetes, without any threats to her airway, has taken aspirin. What should be the next course of action for an EMT?

A) Administer nitroglycerin
B) Administer epinephrine
C) Continue to monitor the patient's vital signs
D) Initiate CPR

User LeandreM
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1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The EMT should continue to monitor the patient's vital signs after she has taken aspirin unless there are signs of MI and she has a prescription for nitroglycerin, in which case it may be administered sublingually. CPR is only for patients who are unresponsive without a pulse.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given the scenario of a 62-year-old female with a history of heart problems and diabetes who has taken aspirin, the next course of action for an EMT, assuming no threats to her airway or other immediate life-threatening conditions, would be to continue to monitor the patient's vital signs. This involves regularly checking the heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation to ensure the patient is stable. If the EMT suspects a myocardial infarction (MI), and the patient has a prescription and no contraindications, nitroglycerin could be administered sublingually after the vital signs have been assessed and continue to be monitored closely. Initiating CPR is only appropriate if the patient becomes unresponsive and does not have a pulse. As the patient has taken aspirin, which helps to break up clots, and there is no indication of an allergic reaction, administering epinephrine would not be appropriate.

User Amit Singh
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