In regard to using adenosine as a stress agent, what is critical to monitor?

When using adenosine as a stress agent, the critical aspect to monitor is heart rate. Adenosine is primarily used in nuclear cardiology for pharmacologic stress testing and functions by inducing a state of coronary vasodilation. This leads to a significant increase in heart rate in order to simulate the effects of exercise and to assess the heart's perfusion under stress conditions.

Monitoring heart rate is essential because adenosine can cause transient bradycardia or, conversely, tachycardia, depending on the patient's response to the agent. Additionally, it can lead to arrhythmias, so careful observation of heart rate can help ensure patient safety and allow for immediate intervention if any irregularities occur.

While blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature can be important parameters in a clinical setting, they are not as directly affected by adenosine and are therefore secondary in priority when specifically assessing the immediate effects of this stress agent.