When teaching clients in a community-based setting strategies for preventing cardiovascular disease, which interventions should the nurse include?

Choice A rationale
While dizziness after the first dose of captopril can be concerning, it is not uncommon as the body adjusts to the medication. It is important to monitor this patient, but they are not the highest priority.
Choice B rationale
A patient exhibiting new-onset confusion, restlessness, and cool, clammy skin should be prioritized for assessment. These symptoms could indicate a serious condition such as shock or decreased cardiac output. This patient may be experiencing a rapid decline in condition and should be assessed immediately.
Choice C rationale
While a patient on oxygen therapy with bilateral crackles at the lung bases may have worsening heart failure, they are not the highest priority if they are stable. Crackles at the lung bases are a common finding in heart failure and indicate fluid accumulation in the lungs.
Choice D rationale
A patient on IV nesiritide (Natrecor) with a blood pressure reading of 100/62 is not the highest priority. While this blood pressure is on the lower side, it is not critically low.
Nesiritide can cause hypotension, so this patient should be monitored, but they are not the highest priority if they are stable.

Choice A rationale
Sinus tachycardia at a rate of 110 beats/min is a normal response to exercise. During a stress test, the heart rate will naturally increase as the body’s demand for oxygen increases. A heart rate of 110 beats/min is within the expected range during moderate exercise.
Choice B rationale
An increase in blood pressure from 134/68 to 150/80 mm Hg is a normal response to exercise. During a stress test, blood pressure will naturally rise as the heart works harder to pump blood to the muscles. This increase is within the expected range during moderate exercise.
Choice C rationale
Feeling tired during a stress test on a treadmill is a normal response to exercise. Fatigue can occur as the body’s energy stores are used up during physical activity. However, if the patient reports extreme fatigue or other symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, it may indicate a problem.
Choice D rationale
Inversion of T waves on the electrocardiogram during a stress test is a sign of myocardial ischemia, a condition in which the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen. This could indicate the presence of significant coronary artery disease and is a finding that would necessitate immediate action.