Question

A 69 year old patient is admitted to the hospital for elective repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The history includes hypertension for 25 years, hyperlipidemia for 15 years, and smoking for 50 years. The patient askes the nurse what caused the aneurysm. The nurse's best response includes the information that a. Congenital weakness of arterial walls eventually results in an aneurysm. b. Atherosclerotic plaques damage the artery and may lead to aneurysms. c. Chronic infections of blood vessel walls may have contributed to the aneurysm. d. Uncontrolled hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking caused the aneurysm. atherosclerotic plaques damage the artery and may lead to aneurysms.

Answer 1

Atherosclerosis, indicated by the patient's history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking, is the primary cause of abdominal aortic aneurysms, making option (b) the most accurate response.Therefore, the correct answer is b. Atherosclerotic plaques damage the artery and may lead to aneurysms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's response (b) aligns with the most common cause of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in adults, particularly in the context of the patient's medical history. AAAs are often associated with atherosclerosis, a condition where fatty deposits, or plaques, build up on arterial walls.

Over time, these plaques can weaken and damage the artery, potentially leading to the development of an aneurysm.Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking, as mentioned in option (d), are significant risk factors that contribute to the formation and progression of atherosclerotic plaques.

Prolonged exposure to these risk factors increases the likelihood of arterial damage, creating a conducive environment for the development of an aneurysm. In this patient's case, the combination of a long history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking further supports the connection between atherosclerosis and the abdominal aortic aneurysm.

While congenital factors (option a) and chronic infections (option c) can contribute to aneurysms in some cases, the patient's extensive history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking makes atherosclerosis the most likely primary cause in this scenario.

Therefore, the correct answer is b. Atherosclerotic plaques damage the artery and may lead to aneurysms.