Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 85%
Full-length
Passage / Scenario
Valerie, 37 years old, enters the hospital with symptoms of Addison's disease. She relates that she was taking cortisone pill for her contact dermatitis, but they bothered her stomach so she quit taking them. On admission Valerie's vital signs are: BP was 80/60; HR 115; RR 24. Laboratory results include a sodium level 128 mEq/L; potassium 5.5 mEq/L.Hypotension in Addison's disease involves a disturbance in the production of
Correct answer
D
Rationale
Mineralcorticoids such as aldosterone cause the kidneys to retain sodium ions. With sodium, water is also retained, elevating blood pressure. Absence of this hormone causes hypotension.