A patient who has begun taking nifedipine (Procardia) to treat variant angina has had a recurrent blood pressure of 90/60 mm Hg or less. The nurse will anticipate that the provider will do which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker that causes vasodilation and can lower blood pressure. In this patient, the recurrent blood pressure of 90/60 mm Hg or less suggests that the nifedipine dose may need to be adjusted or a different medication may need to be considered. Diltiazem is another calcium channel blocker that can be used to treat variant angina and has less of an effect on blood pressure compared to nifedipine. Adding digoxin or ordering serum liver enzymes would not address the low blood pressure issue, and changing to a beta blocker may not be appropriate for variant angina.

A Patient Who Has Begun Taking Nifedipine (Procardia) to Treat