Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 69%
Full-length
A client being discharged from the cardiac step-down unit following a myocardial infarction (MI), is given a prescription for a beta-blocking drug. A nursing student asks the charge nurse why this drug would be used by a client who is not hypertensive. What is an appropriate response by the charge nurse?
Correct answer
C
Rationale
One action of beta-blockers is to decrease systemic vascular resistance by dilating arterioles. This is useful for the client with coronary artery disease, and will reduce the risk of another MI or sudden death.