Exam Cram NCLEX RN Practice Questions Related

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Which of the following is NOT a warning sign that compensatory mechanisms in a patient in shock are failing?

  • A. Increasing heart rate above normal for the patient's age.
  • B. Absent peripheral pulses
  • C. Decreasing level of consciousness
  • D. Increasing blood pressure
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: In a patient in shock, increasing blood pressure is not a sign that compensatory mechanisms are failing. As shock progresses and compensatory mechanisms fail, systolic blood pressure will decrease, leading to hypotension, which is a late and ominous sign in these patients. Therefore, choices A, B, and C are warning signs of failing compensatory mechanisms in shock: an increasing heart rate above normal, absent peripheral pulses, and decreasing level of consciousness, respectively. An increasing blood pressure is not indicative of compensatory failure in shock; instead, it may be a sign of compensatory mechanisms still trying to maintain perfusion pressure.