A patient is admitted with a gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to esophagogastric varices.The nurse knows that varices are caused by which pathophysiologic mechanism?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Esophagogastric varices are engorged and distended blood vessels of the esophagus and proximal stomach that develop as a result of portal hypertension secondary to hepatic cirrhosis,a chronic disease of the liver that results in damage to the liver sinusoids.Without adequate sinusoid function,resistance to portal blood flow is increased,and pressures within the liver are elevated.This leads to a rise in portal venous pressure (portal hypertension),causing collateral circulation to divert portal blood from areas of high pressure within the liver to adjacent areas of low pressure outside the liver,such as into the veins of the esophagus,spleen,intestines,and stomach.

A Patient Is Admitted with a Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage Due to Esophagogastric