Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 72%
Simulated
A nurse is preparing to titrate a continuous nitroprusside infusion for a client. The nurse should plan to titrate the infusion according to which of the following assessments?
Correct answer
A
Rationale
The correct answer is A: Blood pressure. When titrating nitroprusside infusion, blood pressure is the most critical assessment parameter as nitroprusside is a vasodilator that directly affects blood pressure. Monitoring blood pressure closely allows for immediate adjustments to maintain the desired therapeutic effect without causing hypotension or other adverse effects. Stroke volume, cardiac output, and urine output are important assessments in general cardiac care but are not specific to titrating nitroprusside infusion. Monitoring these parameters alone may not provide sufficient information to adjust the infusion accurately.