PERFORMANCE CRITERIA:
- Takes or verbalizes body substance isolation
- Completes a full initial assessment
- Verbalizes the parameters for vital signs (Blood Pressure ≥ 100 mm Hg)
- Verbalizes the need for use of Nitroglycerin administration
- Obtains the patient's prescribed Nitroglycerin
- Assures Nitroglycerin is for the patient
- Checks medication for the expiration date
- Knows the indications, contraindications and side effects of the medication
- Assures the level of consciousness of the patient
- Assures the patient has not taken 3 Nitroglycerin prior to arrival
- Instructs / assists the patient with 1 Nitroglycerin sublingually
- Verbalizes the reassessment of chest pain
- Demonstrates re-evaluation of vital signs
- Verbalizes the need for an additional Nitroglycerin if needed
- Instructs/assists the patient with another Nitroglycerin sulingually
- Verbalizes the reassessment of chest pain
- Demonstrates the re-evaluation of vital signs
- Verbalizes the need for immediate transport to the hospital
- Demonstrates the ongoing monitoring of the patient while transporting
- Demonstrates the documentation for the adminsitration and reassessment
CRITICAL CRITERIA:
- Did not use proper body substance isolation technique
- Did not complete full initial assessment including a full set of vital signs
- Did not correctly verbalize parameters in vital signs (Blood Pressure ≥ 100 mm Hg)
- Did not know the indications, contraindications and side effects of the medication
- Did not check the medication expiration date
- Did not perform the on-going assessment
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Hypotension - Systolic Blood Pressure is below 100
- Head injury
- Infants and children
- Patient has already met the maximum dose prior to EMS arrival
SIDE EFFECTS
- Hypotension
- Headache
- Nausea / vomiting
- Tachycardia
- Skin Rash
NOTE: State protocol includes NRB mask, placing patient in position of comfort,
and ensuring ALS was dispatched.