A patient is admitted to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of hypertension. The nurse realizes that which of the following is occurring with this patient's cardiac afterload?
1. afterload is increased, cardiac output decreases, and blood pressure increases
2. afterload is decreased, cardiac output decreases, and blood pressure increases
3. afterload is increased, cardiac output increases, and blood pressure increases
4. afterload is decreased, cardiac output increases, and blood pressure stays the same.
1
Rationale: Afterload is increased, cardiac output decreases, and blood pressure increases is the correct answer. Afterload is the resistance against which the ventricle must pump blood. If afterload increases, stroke volume must decrease. Therefore, this causes the blood pressure to increase. The flow and resistance compensate to maintain the pressure, just as the stroke volume and the heart rate compensate to maintain the cardiac output. Afterload is decreased, cardiac output decreases, and blood pressure increases is an incorrect choice because if the afterload is decreased, the cardiac output must increase. Afterload is increased, cardiac output increases, and blood pressure increases is an incorrect choice because the cardiac output would decrease if afterload is increased. Afterload is decreased, cardiac output increases, and blood pressure stays the same is an incorrect choice because the blood pressure would increase if afterload is decreased and cardiac output increases.
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