Question

The nurse is taking a history on a patient recently diagnosed with heart failure. The patient admits to "sometimes having trouble catching my breath" but is unable to provide more specific details. What question does the nurse ask to gather more data about the patient's symptoms?

a. "Do you have any medical problems, such as high blood pressure?"
b. "What did your doctor tell you about your diagnosis?"
c. "What was your most strenuous activity in the past week?"
d. "How do you feel about being told that you have heart failure?"

Answer 1

To better understand the patient's symptoms of difficulty breathing associated with heart failure, the nurse should ask about other medical problems like high blood pressure to identify contributing factors to the heart condition and manage them accordingly.

Step-by-step explanation:

To gather more data about the patient's symptoms of "sometimes having trouble catching my breath," which is associated with heart failure, the most effective question the nurse could ask would be: "Do you have any medical problems, such as high blood pressure?" This question is targeted towards understanding the potential underlying conditions that could contribute to the patient's symptoms, considering the patient's medical history with respiratory distress and cardiovascular issues.

Considering that heart failure can be exacerbated by other medical conditions, this question helps in determining whether conditions like hypertension, which is common in patients with heart failure, are present and need to be managed as part of the patient's overall care plan. Additionally, high blood pressure is a risk factor that could lead to heart failure worsening, which is why monitoring and treating it is crucial for patients experiencing breathing difficulties associated with heart failure.