A patient is diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has elevated pulmonary vascular resistance. Which complications would the health care professional assess the patient for?

A. By causing dysrhythmias as a result of hyperkalemia: Angiotensin II does not directly cause dysrhythmias through hyperkalemia. While hyperkalemia can lead to dysrhythmias, angiotensin II primarily acts as a vasoconstrictor and does not directly influence potassium levels.

B. By increasing peripheral vasoconstriction: Angiotensin II increases peripheral vascular resistance through vasoconstriction, which raises blood pressure. This increased resistance requires the heart to work harder to pump blood, thereby increasing the workload on the heart following a myocardial infarction.

C. By stimulating the sympathetic nervous system: Angiotensin II does stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which can increase heart rate and contractility; however, the direct effect on increasing workload is more prominently due to peripheral vasoconstriction.

D. By reducing the contractility of the myocardium: Angiotensin II does not reduce contractility; in fact, it can enhance contractility in some contexts. It primarily increases the workload of the heart through vasoconstriction and increased afterload rather than reducing contractility.

A. Veins that are most susceptible to a deep vein thrombosis are the peroneal, posterior tibial, popliteal and superficial femoral: This statement is correct. These veins are indeed among the most common sites for the development of DVT.

B. DVTs tend to mostly occur in the lower extremities but can occur in the upper extremities too: This statement is also correct. While DVTs primarily occur in the lower extremities, they can occur in the upper extremities as well, particularly in individuals with risk factors such as central venous catheters or certain medical conditions.

C. A DVT is a type of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which is a blood clot that starts in the vein: This statement is correct. DVTs are indeed classified as venous thromboembolism, which refers to blood clots that form in the venous system.

D. A deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremity has a low probability of becoming a pulmonary embolism: This statement is incorrect. A deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremity has a significant risk of becoming a pulmonary embolism if a thrombus dislodges and travels to the pulmonary circulation. It is essential to monitor and treat DVTs to reduce the risk of complications like pulmonary embolism.