A nurse is collecting data from an infant who has coarctation of the aorta. Which of the following manifestations should the nurse expect?
Explanation & Rationale
B. The narrowing of the aorta results in increased resistance to blood flow beyond the constriction, leading to decreased blood pressure in the lower body, including the legs. As a result, the blood pressure in the arms may be significantly higher than in the legs, creating a notable blood pressure gradient between the upper and lower extremities. A. Pulmonary edema is not a typical manifestation of coarctation of the aorta. Coarctation of the aorta involves a narrowing of the aortic arch, typically occurring after the branching of the vessels supplying the upper body. C. Severe cyanosis is not typically associated with coarctation of the aorta. Cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to inadequate oxygenation of the blood, is more commonly seen in conditions affecting pulmonary circulation or oxygenation of the blood, such as congenital heart defects involving right-to-left shunting of blood. D. A machine-like murmur is not a typical finding in coarctation of the aorta. The characteristic murmur associated with coarctation of the aorta is a systolic ejection murmur heard best over the back or left axilla.