At 4 AM, the hemodynamic monitor for a critically ill client in the intensive care unit indicates that the client's mean arterial pressure is at the low end of the normal range; at 6 AM, the client's MAP has fallen definitively below normal. The client is
A)
pulmonary hypertension.
B)
left ventricular hypertrophy.
C)
organ damage and hypovolemic shock.
D)
orthostatic hypotension.
Ans:
C
Feedback:
The mean arterial pressure, which represents the average blood pressure in the systemic circulation, is a good indicator of tissue perfusion. Hospitalization and bed rest predispose to dehydration and low blood volume. Blood pressure normally follows a diurnal pattern in which pressures are highest in the morning. The fact that this client's MAP is falling at a time when it should be at its daily peak is the cause for grave concern; blood volume is likely low, and vital organs, which depend on adequate perfusion, are at risk.
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