Final answer:
In a client with severe anxiety, a nurse would expect to see tachycardia as a symptom of the sympathetic nervous system's response to anxiety.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing severe anxiety in a client and expecting a symptom as a response of the sympathetic nervous system to anxiety, the nurse would anticipate observing tachycardia. This is because the sympathetic nervous system is activated during a stress response, which results in physiological changes designed to enhance the body's ability to respond to a threat.
The fight-or-flight response brought on by the sympathetic nervous system includes increased heart rate (tachycardia), dilation of pupils, increased sweating, higher blood pressure, and dilation of the bronchi. Other changes include inhibition of gastric secretions and reduced activity in the digestive system, not an increase in peristalsis. Bradycardia (a slower heart rate), constricted pupils, and increased peristalsis are more likely to be associated with the parasympathetic nervous system, which dominates during rest and digestion.