The nurse is assessing an elderly client’s blood pressure during a rou

The nurse is assessing an elderly client’s blood pressure during a routine visit. When asked, the client volunteers that when he took his pressure at home yesterday it was 126/72 mm Hg.

The nurse determines that the client’s pressure today is 134/70 mm Hg. The nurse recognizes that the most likely cause of the elevation is:
1. The difference between the monitoring equipment being used
2. The client may be experiencing mild anxiety regarding the check-up
3. The effects of aging on the client’s ability to hear the first Korotkoff sound
4. The client is not inflating the cuff sufficiently to detect the systolic pressure

ANSWER

ANS: 2
Blood pressure measurements taken at the client’s place of employment or in a health care pro-vider’s office are higher than those taken at the client’s home. The remaining options may be a factor but they are not the most likely.