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A student nurse is taking care of an elderly patient with hypertension during a clinical experience. The instructor asks the student about the relationships between BP and age. What would be the best answer by the student?
- A. Because of reduced smooth muscle tone in blood vessels, blood pressure tends to go down with age, not up
- B. Decreases in the strength of arteries and the presence of venous insufficiency cause hypertension in the elderly
- C. Structural and functional changes in the cardiovascular system that occur with age contribute to increases in blood pressure
- D. The neurologic system of older adults is less efficient at monitoring and regulating blood pressure
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Structural and functional changes in the heart and blood vessels contribute to increases in BP that occur with aging. Venous insufficiency does not cause hypertension, however. Increased BP is not primarily a result of neurologic changes.
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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.
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.
An older adult is newly diagnosed with primary hypertension and has just been started on a beta-blocker. The nurses health education should include which of the following?
- A. Increasing fluids to avoid extracellular volume depletion from the diuretic effect of the beta-blocker
- B. Maintaining a diet high in dairy to increase protein necessary to prevent organ damage
- C. Use of strategies to prevent falls stemming from postural hypotension
- D. Limiting exercise to avoid injury that can be caused by increased intracranial pressure
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Elderly people have impaired cardiovascular reflexes and are more sensitive to postural hypotension. The nurse teaches patients to change positions slowly when moving from lying or sitting positions to a standing position, and counsels elderly patients to use supportive devices as necessary to prevent falls that could result from dizziness. Lifestyle changes, such as regular physical activity/exercise, and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, is strongly recommended. Increasing fluids in elderly patients may be contraindicated due to cardiovascular disease. Increased intracranial pressure is not a risk and activity should not normally be limited.
A newly diagnosed patient with hypertension is prescribed Diuril, a thiazide diuretic. What patient education should the nurse provide to this patient?
- A. Eat a banana every day because Diuril causes moderate hyperkalemia
- B. Take over-the-counter potassium pills because Diuril causes your kidneys to lose potassium
- C. Diuril can cause low blood pressure and dizziness, especially when you get up suddenly
- D. Diuril increases sodium levels in your blood, so cut down on your salt
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Thiazide diuretics can cause postural hypotension, which may be potentiated by alcohol, barbiturates, opioids, or hot weather. Diuril does not cause either moderate hyperkalemia or severe hypokalemia and it does not result in hypernatremia.
A patient in hypertensive emergency is being cared for in the ICU. The patient has become hypovolemic secondary to natriuresis. What is the nurses most appropriate action?
- A. Add sodium to the patients IV fluid, as ordered
- B. Administer a vasoconstrictor, as ordered
- C. Promptly cease antihypertensive therapy
- D. Administer normal saline IV, as ordered
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: If there is volume depletion secondary to natriuresis caused by the elevated BP, then volume replacement with normal saline can prevent large, sudden drops in BP when antihypertensive medications are administered. Sodium administration, cessation of antihypertensive therapy, and administration of vasoconstrictors are not normally indicated.