The client has bilateral casts on the upper extremities, so the nurse

The client has bilateral casts on the upper extremities, so the nurse will be measuring the blood pressure in the leg. The nurse expects the diastolic pressure to be:

1. 10 to 40 mm Hg higher than in the brachial artery
2. 20 to 30 mm Hg lower than in the brachial artery
3. 40 to 50 mm Hg higher than in the brachial artery
4. Essentially the same as that in the brachial artery

ANSWER

ANS: 4
When measuring the blood pressure in the legs, systolic pressure is usually higher by 10 to 40 mm Hg than that in the brachial artery, but the diastolic pressure is the same. The systolic pressure, not the diastolic pressure, is 10 to 40 mm Hg higher than that in the brachial artery.
Measurements of 20 to 30 mm Hg lower and 40 to 50 mm Hg higher are not true statements.