Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic Certification Practice Exam

What vital sign is crucial to monitor before administering nitroglycerin?

1. Pulse rate

2. Respiratory rate

3. Systolic blood pressure

4. Body temperature

The correct answer is: Systolic blood pressure

Monitoring systolic blood pressure is essential before administering nitroglycerin because nitroglycerin is a vasodilator that can significantly lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. Administering nitroglycerin in a patient who has low systolic blood pressure can lead to severe hypotension and may compromise the patient's perfusion and overall stability. In clinical practice, it is critical to ensure that the patient's systolic blood pressure is above a certain threshold (often greater than 90 mmHg) before administration. This helps to prevent adverse effects associated with decreased blood pressure, which can occur if nitroglycerin is given improperly. While other vital signs like pulse rate and respiratory rate are important for overall patient assessment, they are not as directly relevant to the safe administration of nitroglycerin as systolic blood pressure is. Body temperature is also not directly related to the effects of nitroglycerin and does not provide necessary information regarding its safe use. Therefore, the focus is primarily on ensuring that systolic blood pressure is adequate to handle the physiological effects of the medication.