Mark Ilescu is a 44-year-old client who has been diagnosed with primary hypertension. His medical history includes type 1 diabetes mellitus, with early signs of nephropathy. He had a myocardial infarction 2 years ago and has been treated with a beta-blocker, metoprolol, since that time. He has been taking hydrochlorothiazide in addition to the beta-blocker to treat his hypertension. His blood pressure today is 138/92 mm Hg, which is consistent with the readings on his last three visits. His physician has added captopril to his treatment regimen. (Learning Objectives 2, 4, 8, and 9)
- Mark states that he does not understand why he needs an additional medication considering his blood pressure is below 140 mm Hg systolic. How should the nurse respond?
- Discuss the rationale for choosing captopril in Mark’s case.
- What should the nurse include in teaching Mark in order to minimize adverse effects of the captopril and metoprolol?
