Final answer:
A consistently high heart rate can lead to a decrease in cardiac output and blood pressure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse should assess for the following related physiologic alterations in a client with a consistently regular heart rate of 128 beats/min:
- Decrease in cardiac output: A consistently high heart rate can lead to a decrease in cardiac output, which is the amount of blood pumped by the heart in one minute. This is because with a high heart rate, there may not be enough time for the ventricles to fill completely, reducing the amount of blood pumped with each contraction.
- Decrease in blood pressure: A decrease in cardiac output can result in a decrease in blood pressure. When the heart pumps less blood, there is less force exerted on the walls of the blood vessels, leading to a drop in blood pressure.