Which vital sign would you most likely monitor after administering nitroglycerin ointment?

Monitoring blood pressure after administering nitroglycerin ointment is particularly important because nitroglycerin is a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes blood vessels and can lead to a decrease in blood pressure. This is a therapeutic effect when treating conditions like angina or heart failure, but it also carries the risk of hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure). Thus, it's crucial for a medication aide to regularly check blood pressure to ensure it remains within an acceptable range and to assess the effectiveness of the medication. If blood pressure drops too low, it may require immediate intervention to prevent further complications.

Heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature are also vital signs that provide important health information, but they do not directly correlate with the specific effects of nitroglycerin, making blood pressure the most critical sign to monitor in this context.