Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

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What significant change may occur in vital signs after a brain stem stroke?

Tachycardia

Facial drooping

Bradypnea

After a brain stem stroke, bradypnea, or slowed respiratory rate, is a significant change that may occur in vital signs. The brain stem plays a crucial role in regulating autonomic functions, including heart rate and breathing. A stroke in this area can impair the brain's ability to send signals to the respiratory centers, leading to decreased respiratory drive and consequently a slower breathing pattern.

While tachycardia can occur in some situations following a stroke due to stress or compensatory mechanisms, and facial drooping as well as unilateral weakness are typical neurological deficits related to strokes affecting different brain regions, they do not specifically pertain to vital signs in the same way. The primary focus here is on the direct impact of the brain stem's function regarding the control of respiratory rate, which makes bradypnea the most pertinent change in vital signs following a brain stem stroke.

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Unilateral weakness

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