A patient admitted with hypertension reports peripheral edema, difficulty breathing, and a cough following ambulation. The nurse chooses which priority nursing diagnosis?

Question

1. Impaired Tissue Perfusion
2. Risk of Noncompliance
3. Imbalanced Nutrition
4. Fatigue

Answer 1

1
Rationale 1: The patient who has a cough and difficulty breathing following exercise, as well as ongoing peripheral edema, has impaired tissue perfusion related to resistance to blood flow.
Rationale 2: There is no evidence that this patient is at risk of noncompliance.
Rationale 3: There is not enough information to choose this nursing diagnosis.
Rationale 4: The patient may experience fatigue, but this is not the priority nursing diagnosis.