Final answer:
The CPCT should report immediately if a patient with severe hypertension exhibits symptoms like confusion, chest pain, severe headache, visual changes, or significant changes in blood pressure. These may indicate life-threatening complications requiring prompt medical attention to prevent serious outcomes such as organ damage or stroke.
Step-by-step explanation:
The CPCT (Certified Patient Care Technician) is responsible for monitoring patients with various conditions, including severe hypertension, which is chronically elevated blood pressure with measurements of 140/90 mm Hg or above. Findings that should be reported immediately to the nurse include symptoms indicating potential life-threatening complications, such as confusion, severe headache, visual changes, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or a significant increase or decrease in blood pressure from the patient's baseline.
Furthermore, other urgent symptoms that may be related to severe hypertension or other underlying conditions, like severe chest pain indicating a potential myocardial infarction, or severe headaches with confusion possibly signaling hypertensive encephalopathy, should also trigger immediate reporting to the nurse or attending physician for timely management. For instance, a hypertension emergency might be indicated if a hypertensive patient's blood pressure is found to be substantially higher than their usual readings with associated symptoms of end-organ damage. These findings would require emergent evaluation and possible intervention to prevent long-term complications such as heart failure, stroke, or kidney damage.