Question

You educate your client, Mr. Nyambi, that blood pressure, peripheral vascular resistance, and blood flow all affect arterial circulation. Mr. Nyambi states, "I do not understand the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure." You should include which statement in the education of the client?

1) "Systolic pressure occurs when the right atrium contracts."
2) "Diastolic pressure occurs when the heart is at rest."
3) "Diastolic pressure occurs during the heart's contraction period."
4) D. "Systolic pressure happens when the heart relaxes."

Answer 1

Systolic pressure occurs during heart ventricles' contraction, while diastolic pressure happens when the heart's ventricles are at rest between beats.

Step-by-step explanation:

To understand the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, it is essential to know how each is measured during the cardiac cycle. Systolic pressure is the higher value and occurs when the ventricles of the heart contract to pump blood out into the arteries; this is when the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls is the highest. Conversely, diastolic pressure is the lower number and represents the pressure in the arteries when the ventricles are at rest, between beats, allowing the heart to fill with blood.

Thus, it is clear that the statement to include in the education of Mr. Nyambi should be: "Diastolic pressure occurs when the heart is at rest." This corresponds to when the heart's ventricles are relaxed and there is less pressure exerted on the artery walls.