A nurse is assisting with teaching a class about the general adaptive syndrome. The nurse should include that which of the following manifestations occur during the exhaustion stage?

Choice A reason: Blood pressure increases during the alarm and resistance stages due to sympathetic nervous system activation. In exhaustion, the body’s resources are depleted, and blood pressure may actually decrease rather than increase. Choice B reason: Depression is a hallmark of the exhaustion stage. Prolonged stress overwhelms the body’s adaptive mechanisms, leading to emotional exhaustion, hopelessness, and depressive symptoms. Choice C reason: Blood glucose levels rise during the alarm stage due to stress hormones like cortisol. In exhaustion, the body cannot maintain this response, but glucose does not simply return to normal it may fluctuate unpredictably due to endocrine fatigue. Choice D reason: Pupil dilation occurs in the alarm stage as part of the fight-or-flight response. In exhaustion, the body no longer sustains this heightened sympathetic activity, so dilation is not a feature of this stage.