Nokea
A patient has come to the clinic for a follow-up assessment that will include a BP reading. To ensure an accurate reading, the nurse should confirm that the patient has done which of the following?
- A. Tried to rest quietly for 5 minutes before the reading is taken
- B. Refrained from smoking for at least 8 hours
- C. Drunk adequate fluids during the day prior
- D. Avoided drinking coffee for 12 hours before the visit
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Prior to the nurse assessing the patients BP, the patient should try to rest quietly for 5 minutes. The forearm should be positioned at heart level. Caffeine products and cigarette smoking should be avoided for at least 30 minutes prior to the visit. Recent fluid intake is not normally relevant.
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The nurse is teaching a patient about some of the health consequences of uncontrolled hypertension. What health problems should the nurse describe? Select all that apply.
- A. Transient ischemic attacks
- B. Cerebrovascular accident
- C. Retinal hemorrhage
- D. Venous insufficiency
- E. Right ventricular hypertrophy
Correct Answer: A,B,C
Rationale: Potential complications of hypertension include the following: left ventricular hypertrophy; MI; heart failure; transient ischemic attacks (TIAs); cerebrovascular accident; renal insufficiency and failure; and retinal hemorrhage. Venous insufficiency and right ventricular hypertrophy are not potential complications of uncontrolled hypertension.
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.
The staff educator is teaching ED nurses about hypertensive crisis. The nurse educator should explain that hypertensive urgency differs from hypertensive emergency in what way?
- A. The BP is always higher in a hypertensive emergency
- B. Vigilant hemodynamic monitoring is required during treatment of hypertensive emergencies
- C. Hypertensive urgency is treated with rest and benzodiazepines to lower BP
- D. Hypertensive emergencies are associated with evidence of target organ damage
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hypertensive emergencies are acute, life-threatening BP elevations that require prompt treatment in an intensive care setting because of the serious target organ damage that may occur. Blood pressures are extremely elevated in both urgency and emergencies, but there is no evidence of target organ damage in hypertensive urgency. Extremely close hemodynamic monitoring of the patients BP is required in both situations. The medications of choice in hypertensive emergencies are those with an immediate effect, such as IV vasodilators. Oral doses of fast-acting agents, such as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or alpha-agonists, are recommended for the treatment of hypertensive urgencies.
A patient in hypertensive urgency is admitted to the hospital. The nurse should be aware of what goal of treatment for a patient in hypertensive urgency?
- A. Normalizing BP within 2 hours
- B. Obtaining a BP of less than 110/70 mm Hg within 36 hours
- C. Obtaining a BP of less than 120/80 mm Hg within 36 hours
- D. Normalizing BP within 24 to 48 hours
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In cases of hypertensive urgency, oral agents can be administered with the goal of normalizing BP within 24 to 48 hours. For patients with this health problem, a BP of 120/80 mm Hg may be unrealistic.
The nurse is screening a number of adults for hypertension. What range of blood pressure is considered normal?
- A. Less than 140/90 mm Hg
- B. Less than 130/90 mm Hg
- C. Less than 129/89 mm Hg
- D. Less than 120/80 mm Hg
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: JNC 7 defines a blood pressure of less than 120/80 mm Hg as normal, 120 to 129/80 to 89 mm Hg as prehypertension, and 140/90 mm Hg or higher as hypertension.