During a routine visit, a patient suddenly develops shortness of breath and tightness in the chest, and reports a tingling sensation in the arms. As a medical assistant, your first action should be to:
Immediately call for assistance from a nurse, physician, or other healthcare professionals who are nearby or activate emergency medical services by calling 911 or local emergency number.
Administer aspirin to prevent potential clotting and instruct the patient to chew it.
Monitor the patient's vital signs while waiting for signs of improvement.
Provide the patient with supplemental oxygen if available and await further instructions.
When a patient presents with shortness of breath, chest tightness, and tingling in the arms, it could indicate a possible cardiac event that requires immediate attention. The correct response is to immediately call for assistance from a nurse, physician, or other healthcare professionals who are nearby or activate emergency medical services by calling 911 or local emergency number This will ensure that the patient receives the most appropriate and timely medical intervention. Providing supplemental oxygen, if within the scope of practice and available, is important, but it should follow activating emergency services. Monitoring vital signs is also important but comes after securing emergency assistance. Administering aspirin without a doctor's order is not appropriate, especially without confirming the patient's medical history, current medications, and allergies.
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