Question

The nurse is documenting several aspects of an assessment conducted on a patient newly admitted to the hospital with a suspected myocardial infarction. Which of the following is considered objective data?

a)The patient states, ""I feel like an elephant is standing on my chest.
b)The patient is diaphoretic, pale, hypotensive, and tachycardic
c)The patient states, ""This is the worst pain I have had in my life.
d)The patient states, ""I have pain under the breastbone in my chest.

Answer 1

Option B) 'The patient is diaphoretic, pale, hypotensive, and tachycardic' is considered objective data because these signs can be directly observed and measured by the healthcare provider, which is vital for diagnosing a myocardial infarction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question “Which of the following is considered objective data?” is option b) “The patient is diaphoretic, pale, hypotensive, and tachycardic.” In the context of healthcare, objective data is any information that can be quantified or observed by means of tests, examinations by nurses, or other quantitative techniques. In contrast, subjective data refers to information provided by the patient that cannot be immediately viewed or evaluated by the healthcare provider, such as descriptions of symptoms or sensations of pain.

Symptoms such as sweating, breathing difficulties, and abrupt chest pain (also known as angina pectoris or retrosternal pain) may indicate a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). But because the patient is reporting these symptoms, they are subjective. On the other hand, clinical observations such as diaphoresis (sweating), pallor (paleness), hypotension (low blood pressure), and tachycardia (rapid heart rate) are objective because they can be directly observed, measured, and verified by a healthcare professional.