Moderate

A patient’s pulse is 130 beats per minute immediately after walking to the bathroom and returns to 94 after five minutes of rest. The patient denies chest pain or breathlessness. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

Correct answer: A. Record the response to activity and continue routine observation

  • A. Record the response to activity and continue routine observation
  • B. Report an emergency tachycardia despite the normal resting pulse
  • C. Administer a prescribed cardiac drug without reassessing the patient
  • D. Restrict all movement because any exertional pulse rise is abnormal

Explanation

A temporary pulse increase with activity that returns toward the patient’s baseline after rest can be a normal physiological response. Recording the activity, recovery time and associated symptoms supports trend monitoring, while persistent or symptomatic tachycardia would require escalation.

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About Vital Signs and Monitoring

Vital signs include temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and pain assessment. Coverage includes correct measurement sites and techniques, normal adult ranges, factors that alter readings, trends in patient observations, and the difference between an abnormal finding that needs reassessment and one requiring immediate reporting.

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