The nurse is unable to hear the blood pressure for a patient who is in septic shock.What is the best option of the nurse?

A) Determine the diastolic blood pressure by palpation and notify the health care provider immediately.
B) Elevate the head of the patient's bed and obtain the patient's blood pressure with an electronic vital sign machine.
C) Assess the patient's blood pressure using a lower extremity and a thigh-sized blood pressure cuff.
D) Raise the patient's arm above the level of the heart and apply the stethoscope more firmly against the antecubital fossa.

The nurse may obtain the patient's diastolic blood pressure by palpation if it is not possible to auscultate a hypotensive patient's Korotkoff sounds.The health care provider should be informed of the result immediately.The head of the bed should be lowered for hypotensive patients to facilitate blood flow to the brain.Use of a lower extremity for blood pressure in a hypotensive patient is not recommended.Placing the stethoscope too firmly against the antecubital fossa will impair hearing.Raising the arm above the level of the heart will lead to a false-low blood pressure reading.