A patient who is experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath is brought to the emergency department. The nurse assesses a heart rate of 98 beats per minute, bilateral lung crackles, and an oxygen saturation of 93%
What drug will the nurse expect to administer initially to this patient?
a. Albuterol
b. Aspirin
c. Nitroglycerin
d. Oxygen
ANS: D
The patient has signs of pulmonary edema, which can cause chest pain, crackles, and shortness of breath along with compensatory tachycardia and low oxygen saturations. The initial drug of choice is oxygen, which can minimize chest pain and open up the alveoli. The other drugs are given for specific underlying causes and may be necessary after the patient is evaluated further.
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