Question

The blood pressure that the medical assistant has just taken is significantly higher than the readings taken on the same patient during past examinations.

Which of the following is the first step the medical assistant should take to ensure the validity of the reading?
A. Tell the patient to relax and retake the pressure immediately
B. Call the physician to the room to immediately retake the patient's blood pressure.
C. Ask the patient if he has had a recent blood pressure test and what the reading was.
D. Ask another medical assistant to take the patient's blood pressure.
E. Take the other vital signs and recheck the blood pressure after a few minutes.

Answer 1

The first step the medical assistant should take to ensure the validity of the blood pressure reading is to take the other vital signs and recheck the blood pressure after a few minutes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The first step the medical assistant should take to ensure the validity of the blood pressure reading is to take the other vital signs and recheck the blood pressure after a few minutes. This is because blood pressure can fluctuate due to various factors such as hydration, stress, and time of day. By taking other vital signs and rechecking the blood pressure, the medical assistant can determine if the initial reading was accurate or if there were any factors that may have influenced the elevated reading.