A nurse is administering nifedipine to a client with gestational hypertension as prescribed by the provider.

Which of the following actions would the nurse take to ensure safe administration of this medication?

The correct answer is choice A, B, C and E.These are all risk factors for gestational hypertension according to various sources.

Some possible explanations for each choice are:

• Choice A: Maternal age over 35 years.Older women are more likely to have chronic hypertension, diabetes, or other conditions that increase the risk of gestational hypertension.

• Choice B: First pregnancy.Women who are pregnant for the first time are more likely to develop gestational hypertension than women who have had previous pregnancies.

• Choice C: Multiple gestation.Women who are carrying twins, triplets, or more are more likely to have gestational hypertension because of the increased placental mass and blood volume.

• Choice D: History of diabetes mellitus.This is not a risk factor for gestational hypertension, but it is a risk factor for preeclampsia, which is a more severe form of hypertension that involves proteinuria and organ damage.

Preeclampsia can develop from gestational hypertension or occur independently.

• Choice E: African American race.African American women are more likely to have gestational hypertension than women of other races or ethnicities.

This may be due to genetic, environmental, or social factors that affect blood pressure regulation.

Normal ranges for blood pressure during pregnancy are less than 140/90 mmHg.Gestational hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure is greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg after 20 weeks of pregnancy and there is no proteinuria or other signs of preeclampsia.Gestational hypertension usually goes away after delivery, but it can increase the risk of complications for both the mother and the baby.

Methyldopa is a drug that lowers blood pressure by reducing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

One of the possible side effects of methyldopa is hypotension, which means abnormally low blood pressure.Hypotension can cause dizziness, fainting, and shock.

Choice A) Bradycardia is wrong because methyldopa does not affect the heart rate directly.Bradycardia means a slow heart rate, which can be caused by other drugs or conditions.

Choice C) Hyperkalemia is wrong because methyldopa does not affect the potassium levels in the blood.Hyperkalemia means high potassium levels, which can be caused by kidney problems or other drugs.

Choice D) Hyperglycemia is wrong because methyldopa does not affect the glucose levels in the blood.Hyperglycemia means high glucose levels, which can be caused by diabetes or other conditions.

Normal ranges for blood pressure are 90/60 mmHg to 120/80 mmHg, for heart rate are 60 to 100 beats per minute, for potassium are 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L, and for glucose are 70 to 100 mg/dL.