Question

A nurse is assessing a patient who recently used cocaine. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

a) polyphagia
b) hypertension
c) decreased temperature
d) depressed mood

Answer 1

Cocaine causes vasoconstriction leading to increased blood pressure, which is what a nurse should expect when assessing a patient who has recently used cocaine.

Step-by-step explanation:

The physiological effects of cocaine include vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of blood vessels. Cocaine-induced vasoconstriction is likely to increase blood pressure because when blood vessels constrict, the same volume of blood is forced through a smaller space, which requires more pressure to maintain blood flow. Therefore, when assessing a patient who recently used cocaine, the nurse should expect to find hypertension as one of the clinical findings.

Answer 2

A nurse assessing a patient who used cocaine should expect to find hypertension due to the drug's vasoconstrictive effects, which increase blood pressure by narrowing blood vessels.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing a patient who recently used cocaine, a nurse should expect to find certain physiological changes due to the effects of the drug on the body. One of the key findings would be hypertension. Cocaine use causes vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels, which is likely to increase blood pressure. This occurs because the reduced diameter of the blood vessels increases the resistance to blood flow, thereby elevating the pressure within the vascular system. This finding is relevant to the cardiovascular effects of the drug, which can also increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiac complications.