A patient’s blood pressure is 118/82 mm Hg. He asks the nurse, “What do the numbers mean?” What is the nurse’s best reply?

Choice A reason: The systolic pressure (top number) measures arterial pressure during heart contraction, accurately explaining 118/82 mm Hg. This clear, correct definition educates the patient, making it the best reply.

Choice B reason: Diastolic pressure (bottom number) reflects arterial pressure at rest, not stroke volume. Systolic pressure is correctly defined as contraction pressure, so this is incorrect for explaining the numbers.

Choice C reason: Dismissing blood pressure as complex is unhelpful; both numbers matter. Systolic pressure is accurately defined as heart contraction pressure, so this is incorrect for patient education.

Choice D reason: Stating the numbers are normal (118/82 is prehypertension) avoids explaining their meaning. Defining systolic pressure clarifies the reading, so this is incorrect for answering the question.

Choice A reason: The cerebellum coordinates motor activity and balance, not speech or emotions. Speech is primarily managed by the cerebral cortex (e.g., Broca’s area), and emotions involve the limbic system, making this statement incorrect.

Choice B reason: The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, sleep, hunger, and hormonal functions via its connections to the autonomic nervous system and pituitary gland. This makes it critical for homeostasis, and the statement is accurate, reflecting its physiological roles.

Choice C reason: Motor pathways from the cortex and brainstem do not primarily synapse in the thalamus. The thalamus relays sensory and some motor signals, but motor pathways mainly synapse in the spinal cord or brainstem, making this statement incorrect.

Choice D reason: The basal ganglia modulate voluntary movements but do not directly control them. The primary motor cortex initiates voluntary movements, while the basal ganglia refine them, so this statement is inaccurate due to its oversimplification.