Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic Certification Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Exam. Engage with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with detailed hints and explanations. Ensure success on your exam today!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What is the primary action of nitroglycerin in treating angina?

Increases heart rate
Vasodilator and reduces workload on the heart
Increases blood pressure
Stimulates adrenaline production

The correct answer is: Vasodilator and reduces workload on the heart

Nitroglycerin acts primarily as a vasodilator, which means it relaxes and widens blood vessels. This is crucial for treating angina, as angina is often caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, typically due to narrowed coronary arteries. By expanding these vessels, nitroglycerin helps increase blood flow to the heart, thereby alleviating the chest pain associated with angina. In addition to its vasodilatory effects, nitroglycerin reduces the workload on the heart. When the blood vessels are dilated, there is less resistance for the heart to pump against, which lowers the heart's oxygen demand. This dual action—enhancing blood flow while decreasing the heart's workload—is essential in managing angina effectively. The other options refer to actions that are not characteristic of nitroglycerin's role in treating angina. Specifically, increasing heart rate and blood pressure or stimulating adrenaline production do not relate to the primary therapeutic effects of nitroglycerin. Instead, its main function is to relieve pain and improve oxygen delivery to the heart muscle by reducing the overall cardiac workload.