Question

A nurse informs a patient that her blood pressure is 128/78. The patient asks what the number 128 means. What is the nurse's appropriate response? The 128 represents the pressure in your blood vessels when:

a. The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves open.
b. The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close.
c. The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves open.
d. The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves close.

Answer 1

The number 128 in a blood pressure reading of 128/78 mm Hg stands for the systolic pressure, which occurs when the heart's ventricles contract and the heart's valves close.

Step-by-step explanation:

The number 128 in a blood pressure reading of 128/78 represents the systolic pressure. This is the pressure in the arteries when the ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close. Therefore, the correct response to the patient would be option b: The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close.

Blood pressure is a vital health indicator and is expressed as the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is measured during the contraction of the heart's ventricles, while diastolic pressure is measured when the ventricles are relaxed. A normal blood pressure reading is generally considered to be less than 120/80 mm Hg. High systolic pressure can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; thus, knowing and understanding one's blood pressure readings is essential for maintaining heart health.