To reassure and educate their patients concerning changes in their blood pressure, maternity nurses should be aware that:

Question

1. too small a blood pressure cuff yields too low a reading; too large yields too high a reading.
2. shifting the position of the woman and changing from arm to arm for different measurement yields the most accurate composite blood pressure reading at each visit.
3. systolic blood pressure increases slightly as pregnancy advances; diastolic remains constant.
4. compression of the iliac veins and inferior vena cava by the uterus contributes to hemorrhoids in the latter part of term pregnancy.

Answer 1

4
1. Incorrect. The tightness of a two-small cuff yields too high a blood pressure reading; the looseness of a too-large cuff yields too low a reading.
2. Incorrect. Because maternal positioning affects readings, they should be obtained in the same arm and with the woman in the same position.
3. Incorrect. Systolic blood pressure generally remains level but may decline slightly as pregnancy advances. Diastolic blood pressure first drops, then gradually increases.
4. Correct. This compression also leads to varicose veins in the legs and vulva.