A nurse is caring for a patient who smokes and drinks caffeine. Which point is important for the nurse to understand before she assesses the patient's blood pressure?
a. Neither caffeine nor smoking affects blood pressure.
b. She needs to insist that the patient stop smoking for at least 3 hours.
c. The nurse should have the patient perform mild exercises.
d. Caffeine and smoking can cause false BP elevations.
ANS: D
Smoking immediately increases BP, and this increase lasts up to 15 minutes. Caffeine increases BP for up to 3 hours. Both affect a patient's blood pressure. The patient should rest at least 5 minutes before BP is measured.
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