A patient's blood pressure is 118/82 mm Hg. He asks the nurse, "What do the numbers mean?" Which is the best reply by the nurse?

A) "The numbers are within the normal range and are nothing to worry about."
B) "The bottom number is the diastolic pressure and reflects the stroke volume of the heart."
C) "The top number is the systolic blood pressure and reflects the pressure of the blood against the arteries when the heart contracts."
D) "The concept of blood pressure is difficult to understand. The primary thing to be concerned about is the top number, or the systolic blood pressure."

Question

Palak Sarin · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : C, Explanation :  The systolic pressure is the maximum pressure felt on the artery during left ventricular contraction, or systole. The diastolic pressure is the elastic recoil, or resting, pressure that the blood constantly exerts in between each contraction. The nurse should answer the patient's question and use terms he can understand. The nurse should answer the patient's question in terms they can understand and not just say it is normal and there is nothing to worry about. The diastolic pressure is the pressure in the vessels when the heart is at rest, not the stroke volume.

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