An EMT assists a 29-year-old patient with a metered-dose inhaler.

The correct answer is C because after inhaling medication from a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) , the patient should hold their breath for about 5–10 seconds .

NREMT-aligned EMT medication administration guidelines emphasize this step because it allows the medication to deposit deeply into the lungs , improving its effectiveness in treating bronchoconstriction. Immediately exhaling would reduce the amount of medication that reaches the lower airways.