Chapter 10: Vital Signs (Practice Questions)

Question 1

A patients weekly blood pressure readings for 2 months have ranged between 124/84 mm Hg and 136/88 mm Hg, with an average reading of 126/86 mm Hg. The nurse knows that this blood pressure falls within which blood pressure category?

a. Normal blood pressure
b. Prehypertension
c. Stage 1 hypertension
d. Stage 2 hypertension

Answer 1

b. Prehypertension

Question 2

When assessing an older adult, which vital sign changes occur with aging?

a. Increase in pulse rate
b. Widened pulse pressure
c. Increase in body temperature
d. Decrease in diastolic blood pressure

Answer 2

b. Widened pulse pressure

Question 3

Which technique is correct when the nurse is assessing the radial pulse of a patient? The pulse is counted for:

a. 1 minute, if the rhythm is irregular.
b. 15 seconds and then multiplied by 4, if the rhythm is regular.
c. 2 full minutes to detect any variation in amplitude.
d. 10 seconds and then multiplied by 6, if the patient has no history of cardiac abnormalities.

Answer 3

a. 1 minute, if the rhythm is irregular.

Question 4

When assessing a patient’s pulse, the nurse should also notice which of these characteristics?

a. Force
b. Pallor
c. Capillary refill time
d. Timing in the cardiac cycle

Answer 4

a. Force

Question 5

When assessing the force, or strength, of a pulse, the nurse recalls that the pulse:

a. Is usually recorded on a 0- to 2-point scale.
b. Demonstrates elasticity of the vessel wall.
c. Is a reflection of the hearts stroke volume.
d. Reflects the blood volume in the arteries during diastole.

Answer 5

c. Is a reflection of the hearts stroke volume.

Question 6

The nurse is assessing the vital signs of a 20-year-old male marathon runner and documents the following vital signs: temperature 36 C; pulse 48 beats per minute; respirations 14 breaths per minute; blood pressure 104/68 mm Hg. Which statement is true concerning these results?

a. The patient is experiencing tachycardia.
b. These are normal vital signs for a healthy, athletic adult.
c. The patient’s pulse rate is not normal his physician should be notified.
d. On the basis of these readings, the patient should return to the clinic in 1 week.

Answer 6

b. These are normal vital signs for a healthy, athletic adult.

Question 7

A patients blood pressure is 118/82 mm Hg. He asks the nurse, What do the numbers mean? The nurses best reply is:

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.

Answer 7

c. The top number is the systolic blood pressure and reflects the pressure of the blood against the arteries when the heart contracts.

Question 8

While measuring a patients blood pressure, the nurse recalls that certain factors, such as __________, help determine blood pressure.

a. Pulse rate
b. Pulse pressure
c. Vascular output
d. Peripheral vascular resistance

Answer 8

d. Peripheral vascular resistance

Question 9

A nurse is helping at a health fair at a local mall. When taking blood pressures on a variety of people, the nurse keeps in mind that:

a. After menopause, blood pressure readings in women are usually lower than those taken in men.
b. The blood pressure of a Black adult is usually higher than that of a White adult of the same age.
c. Blood pressure measurements in people who are overweight should be the same as those of people who are at a normal weight.
d. A teenagers blood pressure reading will be lower than that of an adult.

Answer 9

b. The blood pressure of a Black adult is usually higher than that of a White adult of the same age.

Question 10

The nurse notices a colleague is preparing to check the blood pressure of a patient who is obese by using a standard-sized blood pressure cuff. The nurse should expect the reading to:

a. Yield a falsely low blood pressure.
b. Yield a falsely high blood pressure.
c. Be the same, regardless of cuff size.
d. Vary as a result of the technique of the person performing the assessment.

Answer 10

b. Yield a falsely high blood pressure.

Question 11

A student is late for his appointment and has rushed across campus to the health clinic. The nurse should:

a. Allow 5 minutes for him to relax and rest before checking his vital signs.
b. Check the blood pressure in both arms, expecting a difference in the readings because of his recent exercise.
c. Immediately monitor his vital signs on his arrival at the clinic and then 5 minutes later, recording any differences.
d. Check his blood pressure in the supine position, which will provide a more accurate reading and will allow him to relax at the same time.

Answer 11

a. Allow 5 minutes for him to relax and rest before checking his vital signs.

Question 12

The nurse will perform a palpated pressure before auscultating blood pressure. The reason for this is to:

a. More clearly hear the Korotkoff sounds.
b. Detect the presence of an auscultatory gap.
c. Avoid missing a falsely elevated blood pressure.
d. More readily identify phase IV of the Korotkoff sounds.

Answer 12

b. Detect the presence of an auscultatory gap.

Question 13

The nurse is taking an initial blood pressure reading on a 72-year-old patient with documented
hypertension. How should the nurse proceed?

a. Cuff should be placed on the patients arm and inflated 30 mm Hg above the patients pulse rate.
b. Cuff should be inflated to 200 mm Hg in an attempt to obtain the most accurate systolic reading.
c. Cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg above the point at which the palpated pulse disappears.
d. After confirming the patients previous blood pressure readings, the cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg above the highest systolic reading recorded.

Answer 13

c. Cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg above the point at which the palpated pulse disappears.

Question 14

The nurse has collected the following information on a patient: palpated blood pressure 180 mm Hg; auscultated blood pressure 170/100 mm Hg; apical pulse 60 beats per minute; radial pulse 70 beats per minute. What is the patients pulse pressure?

a. 10
b. 70
c. 80
d. 100

Answer 14

b. 70

Question 15

When auscultating the blood pressure of a 25-year-old patient, the nurse notices the phase I Korotkoff sounds begin at 200 mm Hg. At 100 mm Hg, the Korotkoff sounds muffle. At 92 mm Hg, the Korotkoff sounds disappear. How should the nurse record this patients blood pressure?

a. 200/92
b. 200/100
c. 100/200/92
d. 200/100/92

Answer 15

a. 200/92

Question 16

A patient is seen in the clinic for complaints of fainting episodes that started last week. How should the nurse proceed with the examination?

a. Blood pressure readings are taken in both the arms and the thighs.
b. The patient is assisted to a lying position, and his blood pressure is taken.
c. His blood pressure is recorded in the lying, sitting, and standing positions.
d. His blood pressure is recorded in the lying and sitting positions; these numbers are then averaged to obtain a mean blood pressure.

Answer 16

c. His blood pressure is recorded in the lying, sitting, and standing positions.

Question 17

A 70-year-old man has a blood pressure of 150/90 mm Hg in a lying position, 130/80 mm Hg in a sitting position, and 100/60 mm Hg in a standing position. How should the nurse evaluate these findings?

a. These readings are a normal response and attributable to changes in the patients position.
b. The change in blood pressure readings is called orthostatic hypotension.
c. The blood pressure reading in the lying position is within normal limits.
d. The change in blood pressure readings is considered within normal limits for the patients age.

Answer 17

b. The change in blood pressure readings is called orthostatic hypotension.

Question 18

The nurse is helping another nurse to take a blood pressure reading on a patient’s thigh. Which action is correct regarding thigh pressure?

a. Either the popliteal or femoral vessels should be auscultated to obtain a thigh pressure.
b. The best position to measure thigh pressure is the supine position with the knee slightly bent.
c. If the blood pressure in the arm is high in an adolescent, then it should be compared with the thigh pressure.
d. The thigh pressure is lower than the pressure in the arm, which is attributable to the distance away from the heart and the size of the popliteal vessels.

Answer 18

c. If the blood pressure in the arm is high in an adolescent, then it should be compared with the thigh pressure.

Question 19

The nurse is conducting a health fair for older adults. Which statement istrue regarding vital sign measurements in aging adults?

a. The pulse is more difficult to palpate because of the stiffness of the blood vessels.
b. An increased respiratory rate and a shallower inspiratory phase are expected findings.
c. A decreased pulse pressure occurs from changes in the systolic and diastolic blood pressures.
d. Changes in the bodys temperature regulatory mechanism leave the older person more likely to develop a fever.

Answer 19

b. An increased respiratory rate and a shallower inspiratory phase are expected findings.

Question 20

In a patient with acromegaly, the nurse will expect to discover which assessment findings?

a. Heavy, flattened facial features
b. Growth retardation and a delayed onset of puberty
c. Overgrowth of bone in the face, head, hands, and feet
d. Increased height and weight and delayed sexual development

Answer 20

c. Overgrowth of bone in the face, head, hands, and feet

Question 21

What type of blood pressure measurement error is most likely to occur if the nurse does not check for the presence of an auscultatory gap?

a. Diastolic blood pressure may not be heard.
b. Diastolic blood pressure may be falsely low.
c. Systolic blood pressure may be falsely low.
d. Systolic blood pressure may be falsely high.

Answer 21

c. Systolic blood pressure may be falsely low.

Question 22

When considering the concepts related to blood pressure, the nurse knows that the concept of mean arterial pressure (MAP) is best described by which statement?

a. MAP is the pressure of the arterial pulse.
b. MAP reflects the stroke volume of the heart.
c. MAP is the pressure forcing blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle.
d. MAP is an average of the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and reflects tissue perfusion.

Answer 22

c. MAP is the pressure forcing blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle.

Question 23

A 75-year-old man with a history of hypertension was recently changed to a new antihypertensive drug. He reports feeling dizzy at times. How should the nurse evaluate his blood pressure?

a. Blood pressure and pulse should be recorded in the supine, sitting, and standing positions.
b. The patient should be directed to walk around the room and his blood pressure assessed after this activity.
c. Blood pressure and pulse are assessed at the beginning and at the end of the examination.
d. Blood pressure is taken on the right arm and then 5 minutes later on the left arm.

Answer 23

a. Blood pressure and pulse should be recorded in the supine, sitting, and standing positions.

Question 24

When checking for proper blood pressure cuff size, which guideline is correct?

a. The standard cuff size is appropriate for all sizes.
b. The length of the rubber bladder should equal 80% of the arm circumference.
c. The width of the rubber bladder should equal 80% of the arm circumference.
d. The width of the rubber bladder should equal 40% of the arm circumference.

Answer 24

d. The width of the rubber bladder should equal 40% of the arm circumference.

Question 25

During an examination, the nurse notices that a female patient has a round moon face, central trunk obesity, and a cervical hump. Her skin is fragile with bruises. The nurse determines that the patient has which condition?

a. Marfan syndrome
b. Gigantism
c. Cushing syndrome
d. Acromegaly

Answer 25

c. Cushing syndrome

Question 26

While measuring a patients blood pressure, the nurse uses the proper technique to obtain an accurate reading. Which of these situations will result in a falsely high blood pressure reading? Select all that apply.

a. The person supports his or her own arm during the blood pressure reading.
b. The blood pressure cuff is too narrow for the extremity.
c. The arm is held above level of the heart.
d. The cuff is loosely wrapped around the arm.
e. The person is sitting with his or her legs crossed.
f. The nurse does not inflate the cuff high enough.

Answer 26

a. The person supports his or her own arm during the blood pressure reading.
b. The blood pressure cuff is too narrow for the extremity.
d. The cuff is loosely wrapped around the arm.
e. The person is sitting with his or her legs crossed.