A patient in the emergency department is experiencing a massive stroke with extremely low blood flow to the brain exhibited by a BP less than 60 mm Hg. The nurse suddenly notes there is a sharp rise in the BP to 250 mm Hg. This high BP lasts about 5 minutes, and then the BP drops sharply again. The pathophysiologic principle behind this is likely due to the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When blood flow to the brain has been sufficiently interrupted to cause ischemia of the vasomotor center, these vasomotor neurons become strongly excited. This causes massive vasoconstriction as a means of raising the blood pressure to levels as high as the heart can pump against. This response is called the CNS ischemic response and can raise BP to levels as high as 270 mm Hg for as long as 10 minutes.

A Patient in the Emergency Department Is Experiencing a Massive