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6.7: Case Study 4- Older Adult Client (continued)

  • Page ID
    16889
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    Vital Sign Measurements

    1050 hrs, September 7, 2018

    • Sitting BP: 160/94 mm Hg right arm
    • Pulse: 72 bpm (radial), 2+, regular rhythm

    1. Which findings are considered abnormal for this adult client? What medical terminology is used to define/label these findings?

    • The blood pressure is elevated: hypertension (without diagnosis).

    2. What factors might cause the blood pressure reading to be higher than normal in this adult client?

    • Operator error
    • Anxiety, stress, or pain
    • Caffeine, smoking, or nicotine in the preceding 30 minutes
    • Recently took adrenergic stimulants such as phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine
    • Bladder and bowel discomfort
    • Tight clothing on arm or forearm
    • Noisy, cold room
    • Taken immediately after activity
    • Movement during the pressure reading

    3. What are the healthcare provider’s next actions based on the findings of this older client?

    • Retake the blood pressure to ensure accuracy
    • Take blood pressure in the other arm
    • Have client sit in a room by themselves and then do the following:
      • ensure the room is quiet
      • dim the lights
      • allow the client to sit quietly for five minutes, without talking
      • then take three measurements, a few minutes apart, with the automatic cuff (with an automatic cuff, the blood pressure documented is the average of the three readings).

     

    After the healthcare provider followed the above procedures, the results were:

    September 7, 2018

    1058 hrs Sitting BP: 156/92 mm Hg right arm P 70 bpm (radial)

    1100 hrs Sitting BP: 148/90 mm Hg left arm

     

    Automatic Cuff

    5 mins later (1105 hrs)

    Sitting BP: 150/86 mm Hg right arm P 66 bpm

    2 mins later (1107 hrs)

    Sitting BP: 144/84 mm Hg right arm P 68 bpm

    2 mins later (1109 hrs)

    Sitting BP: 156/82 mm Hg right arm P 62 bpm

     

    Print the blank vital sign record and document the adult client’s vital sign readings. Then, go to the next page for a sample vital sign record of these findings.

    Vital Sign Record – Blank (pdf)

    Vital-Sign-Record_Blank-761x1024.jpg

     


    This page titled 6.7: Case Study 4- Older Adult Client (continued) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lapum et al. (Ryerson University Library) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.