During a visit to the clinic for an annual gynecologic examination, a patient tells the nurse that she had a bad experience on an airplane, saying, "When I sat down, my heart started racing, I was short of breath and sweaty, and I felt as if I was going to die." She stated that her husband helped her to calm down after a few minutes. The nurse recognizes that the patient was describing which problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Physical manifestations of a panic attack represent sympathetic nervous system stimulation. The person experiences muscle tension, tachycardia, dyspnea, hypertension, increased respiration, and profuse perspiration. Characteristics of the manic phase are excessive emotional displays, excitement, euphoria, hyperactivity accompanied by elation, boisterousness, impaired ability to concentrate, decreased need for sleep, and limitless energy, often accompanied by delusions of grandeur. The moderately anxious person has a narrower field of perception and uses selective inattention to ignore stimuli in the environment to focus on a specific concern. Delusions are persistent abnormal beliefs or perceptions held by a person despite the evidence that refutes it.

During a Visit to the Clinic for an Annual Gynecologic