Your partner reports that a patient's blood pressure is 156/78 mmHg. From this reading, you realize:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first number (156) represents the systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and pumps blood. The second number (78) represents the diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats. Therefore, the correct choice is D - the diastolic blood pressure is 78 mmHg. None of the other choices are correct - the pulse pressure is calculated by subtracting the diastolic from the systolic pressure (in this case, it would be 78 mmHg), the systolic blood pressure cannot be lower than the diastolic pressure, and the constant pressure in the veins is not equal to the systolic blood pressure.

Your Partner Reports That a Patient's Blood Pressure Is 156/78