A66-year-old client presents to the emergency department reporting severe headache and mild nausea for the past 6 hours. upon assessment, the client's bp is 210/120 mm hg. the client has a history of hypertension and takes 1.0 mg clonidine twice daily. which question is most important for the nurse to ask the client next?

The nurse must ask if the patient has taken his prescribed clonidine (Catapres).
The patient has been prescribed with clonidine in order to regulate his blood pressure. Clonidine is a medication which acts on the central nervous system, especially on the alpha-adrenergic receptors and reduces blood pressure. In this example, the patient has a history of hypertension and upon assessment, his blood pressure is at dangerously high levels. He could be suffering from a hypertensive crisis, which is a serious increase in the blood pressure and its symptoms include severe headaches, nausea and chest pain. Forgetting to take the blood pressure medication is one of the primary causes of a hypertensive crisis.

"Have you taken your prescribed clonidine today?"

Explanation:

The most important question that the nurse should ask is whether the client has taken his prescribed medicine that is- clonidine. The client needs to know that there are chances for hypertension to rebound if antihypertensive medications are suddenly stopped. Further, a well-known side effect of clonidine is rebound or withdrawal hypertension which makes it more important for the nurse to ask the above-stated question.It is thus, most important to ask whether the client has taken the prescribed hypertension medication as the client's BP is severely elevated.

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