A nurse is teaching a newly licensed nurse about orthostatic hypotension. Which of the following information should the nurse include?

A. Orthostatic hypotension is clinically defined by a decrease in systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mm Hg within 3 minutes of standing. A drop of 13 mm Hg does not meet the standard diagnostic criteria for this condition in an adult patient. While any drop in pressure is noteworthy, it must reach the 20 mm Hg threshold to be classified as a significant orthostatic event. B. A diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension requires a decrease in diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mm Hg when moving from a supine to a standing position. A 5 mm Hg decrease is insufficient to confirm the presence of this vasomotor instability. Accurate measurement is critical for identifying patients whose autonomic nervous systems cannot adequately compensate for gravitational changes in blood distribution. C. There is no direct physiological link between orthostatic hypotension and the formation of pulmonary emboli. Pulmonary emboli typically result from deep vein thrombosis caused by venous stasis, hypercoagulability, or vessel wall injury. While immobility can cause both conditions, orthostatic hypotension itself is a hemodynamic failure rather than a coagulation disorder that leads to blood clots in the lungs. D. Orthostatic hypotension significantly increases a client’s risk of a fall because the sudden drop in blood pressure results in transient cerebral hypoperfusion. This lack of oxygenated blood to the brain causes symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision, and syncope. These manifestations occur most frequently during position changes, making the patient highly unstable and prone to losing their balance while ambulating.