Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

After administering a second nitroglycerin dose to a patient, what should you do if blood pressure reads 80/50 mm Hg?

1. Monitor vital signs continuously

2. Place the patient supine and elevate his legs

3. Administer IV fluids immediately

4. Administer a third dose of nitroglycerin

The correct answer is: Place the patient supine and elevate his legs

When administering nitroglycerin, one of its primary effects is vasodilation, which can lead to a decrease in blood pressure. If a patient’s blood pressure is 80/50 mm Hg, it indicates that they are experiencing hypotension, which requires careful management to prevent further complications, such as inadequate perfusion to vital organs. Positioning the patient supine and elevating the legs can help improve venous return to the heart, which may increase cardiac output and subsequently raise blood pressure. This maneuver allows gravity to assist blood flow back to the heart, and by adopting this position, the body can compensate for the low blood pressure more effectively. While continuous monitoring of vital signs is essential in all cases, simply monitoring without taking additional action may not address the immediate need to stabilize the patient’s blood pressure. Administering IV fluids can be a useful intervention for hypotension in some cases, but it typically requires medical control or protocols to guide the appropriate use. Administering a third dose of nitroglycerin in the presence of hypotension is contraindicated, as it would likely exacerbate the low blood pressure issue. Thus, placing the patient supine and elevating their legs is a suitable response in this scenario to try to improve