The nurse is assessing a client exhibiting a sudden sense of fear and dread, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. The nurse understands these findings to be consistent with which condition?

Question

A) Hypomania
B) Depression
C) Bipolar disorder
D) Panic attack

Answer 1

D) Panic attack

Explanation: A) Hypomania is a less extreme form of mania characterized by an abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and increased energy.
B) Depression is a mood disorder in which the individual has persistent feelings of sadness and lack of interest in life.
C) Bipolar disorders are a group of mood disorders characterized by manic, hypomanic, and depressive episodes.
D) A sudden sense of fear and dread, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath are consistent with a panic attack. These symptoms are due to an increase in sympathetic function.