Week 1 - Hypertension

Question 1

True or false. The majority of adults with hypertension in the United States are adequately controlling their blood pressure.

Answer 1

False

The majority of patients with hypertension, including those with isolated systolic hypertension, are not well controlled.

Question 2

True or false. The majority of adults with hypertension have essential or primary hypertension which has a specific identifiable cause.

Answer 2

False

It is true that ~95% of adults have essential or primary hypertension. However, essential or primary hypertension does NOT have a directly identifiable cause. It is thought to be related to interactions between lifestyle and genetics.

Question 3

Which of the following patients does NOT need their blood pressure checked?

Select one:

a. a new patient
b. a returning patient without hypertension that was seen and had BP checked 1 month ago
c. a returning patient without hypertension that was last seen and had BP checked 1 year ago
d. a returning patient with known hypertension who was seen last month

Answer 3

B, if no hypertension, the bp does not need to be checked again for 1 year

Question 4

Which of the following factors is a common reason for blood pressure to be temporarily elevated?

Select one:

a. deep breathing
b. dehydration
c. following a low salt diet
d. pain

Answer 4

Pain

Question 5

Ideally, for an accurate BP reading, how long should a patient be seated at rest before checking their BP?

Answer 5

5 minutes

Question 6

Blood pressure should be checked in both arms for a new patient. If the blood pressure difference between the two arms is > 20 mm Hg, what is this concerning for?

Answer 6

vascular abnormalities such as subclavian steal syndrome

Question 7

Based on the JNC 7 guidelines, what category does a patient with a BP of 134/92 fall into (assuming this is the average of 4 BP readings taken on 2 separate occasions)?

Answer 7

Stage 1 HTN due to diastolic BP (systolic would be prehypertensive but JNC7 guidelines considers the higher)

Question 8

True or false. If a patient has BP > 180/110, an appropriate management plan in most cases would be to refer the patient for further evaluation right away.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Which one of the following is NOT an appropriate recommendation to give a patient regarding checking blood pressure at home?

Select one:

a. Check BP twice a day, preferably around the same time of day.
b. Write down the time and BP numbers each time you check it.
c. Make sure you are seated with legs uncrossed, back, and arm supported.
d. Using a wrist BP cuff is just as accurate as using an upper arm BP cuff.

Answer 9

D

Question 10

Which secondary cause of hypertension should you think of if a patient is experiencing labile blood pressure (it is going up and down frequently), intermittent palpitations, headaches, and sweating episodes?

Answer 10

Pheochromocytoma