A patient diagnosed with Heart Failure would like the nurse to explain what the diagnosis means.
How will the nurse explain heart failure?

Choice A rationale

A patient 3 days after surgery may still require higher doses of opioids for pain management, but the duration and intensity of postoperative pain typically decrease over time. This patient may not necessarily require a higher-than-expected dose compared to others.

Choice B rationale

Patients with cancer often experience severe and chronic pain due to the disease itself or its treatments. These patients may develop tolerance to opioids over time, necessitating higher-than-expected doses to achieve adequate pain relief.

Choice C rationale

Hypotension is a contraindication for high doses of opioids, as opioids can cause further blood pressure reduction. This patient would require careful dose adjustment to avoid exacerbating hypotension.

Choice D rationale

Patients with a concussion are at risk of altered mental status and respiratory depression from opioids. Therefore, higher doses are generally avoided to prevent worsening of these conditions.

Choice A rationale

Improved mental status can be a sign of better overall health but is not a specific indicator of improved heart failure status.

Choice B rationale

Using fewer pillows at night indicates reduced orthopnea, a common symptom of heart failure, suggesting that the patient’s heart failure status has improved.

Choice C rationale

Increased skin turgor indicates improved hydration status but is not a specific measure of heart failure improvement.

Choice D rationale

Heart rate regularity is important but does not directly indicate improved heart failure status.