Question

A nurse is assessing a prenatal client's cardiovascular function. When should the nurse expect this client's cardiac output (CO) to begin rising?

1) Eight to ten weeks
2) Twelve to eighteen weeks
3) Twenty to twenty-four weeks
4) Thirty-four to thirty-eight weeks

Answer 1

The nurse should expect the client's cardiac output (CO) to begin rising between twenty to twenty-four weeks of pregnancy as the cardiovascular system undergoes changes to support the growing fetus.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should expect the prenatal client's cardiac output (CO) to begin rising between twenty to twenty-four weeks of pregnancy. During this time, the client's cardiovascular system undergoes significant changes to support the growing fetus. The heart rate increases, stroke volume (the amount of blood ejected with each heartbeat) increases, and the total blood volume increases. These changes contribute to the increase in cardiac output.