Question

If an adult patient is experiencing the signs and symptoms of a myocardial infarction with perfusing arrhythmias, which of the following pre-hospital interventions will help to reduce the patient's cardiac preload and afterload?

A. The intravenous administration of 2-4 mg of morphine per a medical-control physician's order

B. The administration of various medications and dosages to control the specific dysrhythmias such as procainamide, atropine, verapamil, and others

C. The administration of sublingual nitroglycerin therapy

D. The administration of high-flow oxygen therapy (15 liters per minute) via a non-rebreather mask

Answer 1

The administration of sublingual nitroglycerin therapy will help reduce the patient's cardiac preload and afterload.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pre-hospital intervention that will help to reduce the patient's cardiac preload and afterload is option C: the administration of sublingual nitroglycerin therapy.

Nitroglycerin is a vasodilator that relaxes the smooth muscles in the coronary vessels, reducing the resistance and workload on the heart. This leads to a decrease in both cardiac preload (the volume of blood in the ventricles at the end of diastole) and afterload (the tension the ventricles must develop to pump blood against resistance).

By administering sublingual nitroglycerin, the patient's signs and symptoms of myocardial infarction with perfusing arrhythmias can be alleviated by reducing the workload on the heart and improving blood flow to the heart muscle.