Nokea
A nurse is performing blood pressure screenings at a local health fair. While obtaining subjective assessment data from a patient with hypertension, the nurse learns that the patient has a family history of hypertension and she herself has high cholesterol and lipid levels. The patient says she smokes one pack of cigarettes daily and drinks about a pack of beer every day. The nurse notes what nonmodifiable risk factor for hypertension?
- A. Hyperlipidemia
- B. Excessive alcohol intake
- C. A family history of hypertension
- D. Closer adherence to medical regimen
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Unlike cholesterol levels, alcohol intake, and adherence to treatment, family history is not modifiable.
You may also like to solve these questions
A patient has been diagnosed as being prehypertensive. What should the nurse encourage this patient to do to aid in preventing a progression to a hypertensive state?
- A. Avoid excessive potassium intake
- B. Exercise on a regular basis
- C. Eat less protein and more vegetables
- D. Limit morning activity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: To prevent or delay progression to hypertension and reduce risk, JNC 7 urged health care providers to encourage people with blood pressures in the prehypertension category to begin lifestyle modifications, such as nutritional changes and exercise. There is no need for patients to limit their activity in the morning or to avoid potassium and protein intake.
A patient comes to the walk-in clinic complaining of frequent headaches. While assessing the patients vital signs, the nurse notes the BP is 161/101 mm Hg. According to JNC 7, how would this patients BP be defined if a similar reading were obtained at a subsequent office visit?
- A. High normal
- B. Normal
- C. Stage 1 hypertensive
- D. Stage 2 hypertensive
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: JNC 7 defines stage 2 hypertension as a reading 160/100 mm Hg.
A patient in a hypertensive emergency is admitted to the ICU. The nurse anticipates that the patient will be treated with IV vasodilators, and that the primary goal of treatment is what?
- A. Lower the BP to reduce onset of neurologic symptoms, such as headache and vision changes
- B. Decrease the BP to a normal level based on the patients age
- C. Decrease the mean arterial pressure between 20% and 25% in the first hour of treatment
- D. Reduce the BP to 120/75 mm Hg as quickly as possible
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Initially, the treatment goal in hypertensive emergencies is to reduce the mean arterial pressure by 25% in the first hour of treatment, with further reduction over the next 24 hours. Lowering the BP too fast may cause hypotension in a patient whose body has adjusted to hypertension and could cause a stroke, MI, or visual changes. Neurologic symptoms should be addressed, but this is not the primary focus of treatment planning.
During an adult patients last two office visits, the nurse obtained BP readings of 122/84 mm Hg and 130/88 mm Hg, respectively. How would this patients BP be categorized?
- A. Normal
- B. Prehypertensive
- C. Stage 1 hypertensive
- D. Stage 2 hypertensive
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Prehypertension is defined systolic BP of 120 to 139 mm Hg or diastolic BP of 80 to 89 mm Hg.
A patient with primary hypertension complains of dizziness with ambulation. The patient is currently on an alpha-adrenergic blocker and the nurse assesses characteristic signs and symptoms of postural hypotension. When teaching this patient about risks associated with postural hypotension, what should the nurse emphasize?
- A. Rising slowly from a lying or sitting position
- B. Increasing fluids to maintain BP
- C. Stopping medication if dizziness persists
- D. Taking medication first thing in the morning
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Patients who experience postural hypotension should be taught to rise slowly from a lying or sitting position and use a cane or walker if necessary for safety. It is not necessary to teach these patients about increasing fluids or taking medication in the morning (this would increase the effects of dizziness). Patient should not be taught to stop the medication if dizziness persists because this is unsafe and beyond the nurses scope of practice.