Nitrates

Medication class detail with safety cues and nursing action focus.

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Cardiacneeds review

Nitrates

Examples: nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate

Mechanism

Dilates veins and coronary vessels to reduce workload and improve oxygen supply-demand balance.

Used for

  • Angina
  • Acute coronary syndrome symptom relief per protocol

Side effects

  • Headache
  • Hypotension
  • Dizziness

Nursing actions

  • Check blood pressure before administration.
  • Teach sitting or lying before sublingual doses.
  • Verify no recent PDE-5 inhibitor use before giving.

Hold / question cues

  • Severe hypotension
  • Recent sildenafil/tadalafil/vardenafil use
  • Right ventricular infarct concern per protocol

Antidote / reversal

  • No routine class-specific antidote or reversal agent is seeded for this class; hold/question unsafe doses, support ABCs, notify the provider, and use facility or poison-control guidance for toxicity.

NCLEX pearl

  • Nitro needs pressure to give pressure relief.