Final answer:
A nurse should expect signs of tachycardia and potential hypotension in an infant with severe dehydration, rather than a normal heart rate and blood pressure, due to the body's response to low blood volume.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nurse is collecting data from an infant who has severe dehydration, certain clinical findings should be expected.
Contrary to a normal heart rate and blood pressure, the nurse should anticipate signs consistent with dehydration, which may include tachycardia (an increased heart rate) and potential hypotension (low blood pressure). Dehydration can cause the heart to beat faster in an attempt to maintain an adequate blood flow to organs despite lower blood volume. Blood pressure may decrease as a result of the reduced blood volume. Furthermore, in the case of severe dehydration, the infant might also display other signs such as sunken fontanelles (soft spots on a baby’s head), lack of tears when crying, dry mucous membranes, decreased urine output, and lethargy.