A nurse is assessing a patient who has longstanding hypertension. She knows that complications are possibly arising due to her hypertension when which of the following signs are noted:

Explanation

• Proteinuria and albuminuria are early indicators of renal injury, a serious complication that can be caused by hypertension. High pressures damage the kidneys' ability to filter toxins, and evidence of this damage is seen as proteins leak out into the urine

• Incorrect: Fatigability and headache are symptoms of hypertension but are not direct indicators of progressive disease or complications.  These may also be side effects of certain medications used to treat hypertension

• Incorrect: Dyspnea during activity is not associated with hypertension. Dyspnea can be a sign of low cardiac output (congestive heart failure), pulmonary edema, severe anemia, or a respiratory problem (asthma, pneumonia, etc.)

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