What is included in the first-line therapeutic approach to lowering blood pressure in a patient diagnosed with essential hypertension? (Select all that apply)

Choice A rationale
Administering Ibuprofen as scheduled is a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Choice B rationale
Monitoring the patient for complications of cardiac tamponade is a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. Cardiac tamponade is a serious condition that can occur as a complication of pericarditis.
Choice C rationale
Placing the patient in a supine position to relieve pain is not a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. This position could actually increase the patient’s discomfort.
Instead, the patient should be positioned upright and leaning forward to help relieve pain.
Choice D rationale
Monitoring the patient for pulsus paradoxus and muffled heart sounds is a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. These are potential signs of worsening pericarditis or complications such as cardiac tamponade.

Choice A rationale
The need for Metoprolol (Lopresor) STAT does not necessarily indicate progression to septic shock. Metoprolol is a beta-blocker used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and angina. While it may be used in the management of sepsis to control heart rate, its use does not specifically indicate progression to septic shock.
Choice B rationale
The need for Norepinephrine to maintain a mean arterial pressure (MAP) greater than 65 mmHg despite fluid replacement is a strong indicator of septic shock. Norepinephrine is a vasopressor, a type of medication used to increase blood pressure. In septic shock, vasopressors are often required to maintain adequate blood pressure and organ perfusion despite aggressive fluid resuscitation.
Choice C rationale
A serum lactate level less than 2 mmol/L is generally not indicative of septic shock. Elevated lactate levels can indicate tissue hypoperfusion, a condition that may occur in septic shock. However, a level less than 2 mmol/L is typically considered within the normal range.
Choice D rationale
A blood pressure of 70/34 after the fluid bolus could indicate progression to septic shock. In septic shock, despite aggressive fluid resuscitation, blood pressure often remains dangerously low, which can lead to inadequate blood flow to the organs.