Practice Question
An 8-year-old patient presents to his clinic, complaining of dizziness, headaches, and epistaxis. The nurse took the patient's vital signs and noticed that he had high blood pressure in his arms and bounding upper extremity pulses; however, when she proceeded to check his lower extremity pulses, they were weak, and his legs were pale and cool to touch. What does this patient present signs of?
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Correct Answer:
Coarctation of the Aorta
Rationale:
❤️ Coarctation of the Aorta (CoA) is a congenital narrowing of the aorta that leads to increased pressure proximal (upper extremities) and decreased perfusion distal (lower extremities).
❤️ Classic signs include hypertension in the arms, bounding radial pulses, and weak or absent femoral pulses, often with cool or pale lower limbs.
❤️ Children may present with headaches, dizziness, and nosebleeds due to elevated upper body blood pressure.
❤️ These symptoms are the result of the heart pumping against a resistance created by the narrowed aortic segment.
❤️ Diagnosis is often supported by blood pressure differences between limbs and confirmed with echocardiogram or MRI.
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This question is from RN ATI Pediatrics Exam IV which contains 35 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI Pediatrics
- Answer Choices: 4