Correct
SECTION 1: HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS (HPI)
1. What brings you in today?
• Answer: “I’ve had headaches and feeling dizzy for the past week.”
• Rationale: Guides symptom duration and character; HTN may be asymptomatic but
headaches/dizziness can indicate elevated BP.
2. When did you last check your blood pressure?
• Answer: “About 3 months ago at a health fair – it was ‘borderline high.’”
• Rationale: Identifies prior awareness and possible chronicity.
3. What was that number?
• Answer: “Around 140/90, they said.”
• Rationale: Stage 1 HTN threshold (ACC/AHA).
4. Have you ever been told you have high blood pressure before today?
• Answer: “Not officially, but my doctor mentioned it 2 years ago.”
• Rationale: Distinguishes new vs. known HTN.
5. Are you taking any blood pressure medications?
• Answer: “No, I didn’t think it was serious.”
• Rationale: Identifies non-adherence or lack of treatment.
6. Do you check your BP at home?
, • Answer: “Sometimes, but not regularly.”
• Rationale: Home BP monitoring is key for diagnosis/management.
7. What symptoms made you come in today?
• Answer: “Throbbing headache in the back of my head and feeling off-balance.”
• Rationale: Occipital headache can be hypertensive-related.
8. How long do the headaches last?
• Answer: “A few hours, mostly in the morning.”
• Rationale: Morning headache pattern suggests nocturnal hypertension.
9. On a scale of 1-10, how severe?
• Answer: “About 6/10.”
• Rationale: Quantifies severity.
10. Anything that makes it better?
• Answer: “Lying down and taking ibuprofen.”
• Rationale: Identifies relieving factors; ibuprofen may worsen BP.
11. Anything that makes it worse?
• Answer: “Stress or drinking coffee.”
• Rationale: Triggers sympathetic activation.
12. Have you had chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations?
• Answer: “Sometimes my heart feels like it’s racing.”
• Rationale: Palpitations + HTN → consider arrhythmia (e.g., AFib).
13. Do you feel short of breath with exertion?
• Answer: “Yes, walking up stairs now makes me winded.”
• Rationale: DOE suggests possible heart failure or coronary ischemia.
SECTION 1: HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS (HPI)
1. What brings you in today?
• Answer: “I’ve had headaches and feeling dizzy for the past week.”
• Rationale: Guides symptom duration and character; HTN may be asymptomatic but
headaches/dizziness can indicate elevated BP.
2. When did you last check your blood pressure?
• Answer: “About 3 months ago at a health fair – it was ‘borderline high.’”
• Rationale: Identifies prior awareness and possible chronicity.
3. What was that number?
• Answer: “Around 140/90, they said.”
• Rationale: Stage 1 HTN threshold (ACC/AHA).
4. Have you ever been told you have high blood pressure before today?
• Answer: “Not officially, but my doctor mentioned it 2 years ago.”
• Rationale: Distinguishes new vs. known HTN.
5. Are you taking any blood pressure medications?
• Answer: “No, I didn’t think it was serious.”
• Rationale: Identifies non-adherence or lack of treatment.
6. Do you check your BP at home?
, • Answer: “Sometimes, but not regularly.”
• Rationale: Home BP monitoring is key for diagnosis/management.
7. What symptoms made you come in today?
• Answer: “Throbbing headache in the back of my head and feeling off-balance.”
• Rationale: Occipital headache can be hypertensive-related.
8. How long do the headaches last?
• Answer: “A few hours, mostly in the morning.”
• Rationale: Morning headache pattern suggests nocturnal hypertension.
9. On a scale of 1-10, how severe?
• Answer: “About 6/10.”
• Rationale: Quantifies severity.
10. Anything that makes it better?
• Answer: “Lying down and taking ibuprofen.”
• Rationale: Identifies relieving factors; ibuprofen may worsen BP.
11. Anything that makes it worse?
• Answer: “Stress or drinking coffee.”
• Rationale: Triggers sympathetic activation.
12. Have you had chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations?
• Answer: “Sometimes my heart feels like it’s racing.”
• Rationale: Palpitations + HTN → consider arrhythmia (e.g., AFib).
13. Do you feel short of breath with exertion?
• Answer: “Yes, walking up stairs now makes me winded.”
• Rationale: DOE suggests possible heart failure or coronary ischemia.
