Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam Practice 2025 – Comprehensive Prep

In asthma, the term used to describe a significant variation in blood pressure during breathing is known as pulsus paradoxus. This phenomenon occurs when there is a noticeable drop in systolic blood pressure during inhalation, which can be particularly pronounced in conditions like asthma exacerbations or cardiac tamponade.

Pulsus paradoxus is a result of increased intrathoracic pressure during inspiration, which can compromise venous return to the heart and thus leads to a transient decrease in cardiac output. In patients with severe asthma, this can manifest as a noticeable difference in blood pressure readings when comparing inspiration and expiration.

Other terms listed are distinct conditions: hypotension refers to lower than normal blood pressure, orthostatic hypotension denotes a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing, and hypertension is characterized by elevated blood pressure. These terms do not address the specific variability in blood pressure related to the respiratory cycle seen in asthma.