Question

A patient is admitted with right- and left-sided heart failure. The nurse's assessment reveals that the patient has 3+ pitting edema on the sacrum, blood pressure of 176/98 mm Hg, and bilateral crackles in the lungs. The patient is experiencing shortness of breath and chest discomfort. Increased afterload is probably present related to the patient's blood pressure. Which therapeutic measure will most likely decrease afterload in this patient?

a. Administration of vasodilators
b. Placement in high Fowler position
c. Elevation of extremities
d. Increasing intravenous fluids

Answer 1

Administration of vasodilators would be the most likely therapeutic measure to decrease afterload in this patient with right- and left-sided heart failure.

Step-by-step explanation:

Increased afterload is the tension that the ventricles must develop to pump blood effectively against the resistance in the vascular system. In this patient, the increased blood pressure indicates increased afterload. To decrease afterload, administration of vasodilators would be the most appropriate therapeutic measure. Vasodilators relax the smooth muscles in the blood vessels, reducing the resistance and decreasing afterload. This helps the heart pump blood more easily and improves cardiac function.