A patient comes to the clinic complaining of a cough that is worse at night but not as bad during the day. The nurse recognizes that this cough may indicate:

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Postnasal drip or sinusitis. This is because a cough that worsens at night but improves during the day is a common symptom of postnasal drip or sinusitis, where mucus drips down the back of the throat when lying down. Other choices are incorrect because pneumonia typically presents with a persistent cough throughout the day, exposure to irritants at work would not cause a cough pattern specific to nighttime, and chronic bronchial irritation from smoking would result in a more persistent and continuous cough regardless of the time of day.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Step-by-step rationale: 1. During pregnancy, blood pressure tends to decrease due to hormonal and physiological changes. 2. The decline in blood pressure is attributed to peripheral vasodilatation, allowing for increased blood flow to the placenta. 3. This vasodilatation is a normal adaptive response to support the growing fetus. 4. The parasympathetic effect of pregnancy hormones contributes to the vasodilatation and helps regulate blood pressure. 5. Therefore, choice A is correct as it aligns with the physiological changes expected during pregnancy. Summary of other choices: - Choice B incorrectly attributes the decline solely to the parasympathetic effect, ignoring the role of vasodilatation. - Choice C is incorrect as a decrease in blood pressure does not necessarily mean a decrease in cardiac output during pregnancy. - Choice D is incorrect as a decrease in blood pressure does not always indicate a dangerous decrease in blood volume for the fetus.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Inspection to note visible abnormalities. Inspection is the initial assessment technique used to observe visible signs such as distention, discoloration, or scars. This helps in gathering important information about the patient's condition before proceeding to palpation or percussion. Light palpation (choice A) and deep palpation (choice B) involve touching the abdomen, which may worsen the pain or miss important visual clues. Percussion (choice D) is typically used after inspection and palpation to assess organ density, not as the initial step in assessing abdominal pain.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: The arterial system is a high-pressure system. Arteries carry blood away from the heart to various parts of the body, and they experience high pressure due to the force exerted by the pumping heart. This pressure is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients efficiently throughout the body. Therefore, choice B is correct. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because arteries are not always large in diameter, the walls of arteries are thicker than veins for maintaining higher pressure, and arteries do not greatly expand like veins to accommodate large blood volume increases.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because brownish discoloration to the skin of the lower leg is a classic sign of venous stasis due to hemosiderin deposition from chronic venous insufficiency. This occurs as a result of red blood cell breakdown and leaking into the tissues. The other choices are incorrect because: A) Unilateral cool foot is more indicative of arterial insufficiency, B) Thin, shiny, atrophic skin is characteristic of arterial insufficiency or aging, and C) Pallor of the toes and cyanosis of the nail beds are signs of arterial insufficiency as well.