Question

The nurse is caring for a patient with an intracranial hemorrhage. The patient is having a hypertensive emergency. Which of the following nursing intervention would take priority in this patient?

A. Avoid lowering the blood pressure (BP) too quickly
B. Reduction of the BP to 160/100 mm Hg within the half hour of treatment
C. Maintaining the BP at a significantly higher than normal level to prevent orthostatic hypotension.
D. Reduction of the mean BP by up to 50% within the first hour of treatment

Answer 1

The priority nursing intervention in the case of intracranial hemorrhage with a hypertensive emergency is to avoid rapidly lowering blood pressure to ensure adequate cerebral perfusion and avoid exacerbating brain injury.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the case of a patient experiencing an intracranial hemorrhage with a hypertensive emergency, the most appropriate nursing intervention to take priority would be A. Avoid lowering the blood pressure (BP) too quickly. A rapid decrease in BP could diminish perfusion to the brain, potentially exacerbating injury to the brain tissues. It's generally recommended that blood pressure be carefully reduced to safer levels but not so aggressively as to cause additional complications. Reducing mean arterial pressure (MAP) too swiftly can lead to ischemia or insufficient blood flow, which could lead to neuronal damage, especially during an intracranial hemorrhage when the brain is vulnerable.