CSC Cardiac Nursing Subspecialty

Answer: B - This patient would be considered to have prehypertension.
The 2003 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) guidelines divide blood pressure into 4 general categories for adults that include the following:
• The first category is normal blood pressure: a blood pressure below 120/80 mmHg.
• The secondary category is called prehypertension: a systolic blood pressure ranging from 120 to 139 and diastolic blood pressure ranging from 80 to 89.
• The third category is referred to as stage 1 hypertension: a systolic blood pressure ranging from 140 to 159 and/or a diastolic blood pressure ranging from 90 to 99.
. The fourth category is stage 2 hypertension: this is called severe hypertension, a systolic blood pressure above 160 and/or a diastolic blood pressure above100.