A nurse informs a patient that her blood pressure is 128/78. The patient asks what the number 128 means. What is the nurse's appropriate response? The 128 represents the pressure in your blood vessels when:
A) "The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves open."
B) "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close."
C) "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves open."
D) "The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves close."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

During systole the ventricles contract, creating a pressure that closes the atrioventricular (AV) valves (mitral and tricuspid). The aortic and pulmonic valves open during systole, but ventricles fill during diastole. During systole the ventricles contract, creating a pressure that closes the AV valves (mitral and tricuspid). The ventricles are relaxed and the aortic and pulmonic valves close during diastole, rather than systole.

A Nurse Informs a Patient That Her Blood Pressure Is