ARRT Patient Care Practice Exam

A vasomotor effect experienced after injection of a contrast agent is characterized by all of the following symptoms except:

1. nausea

2. syncope

3. hypotension

4. anxiety

The correct answer is: hypotension

When a patient experiences a vasomotor effect after the injection of a contrast agent, it typically involves changes in blood vessel tone, which can lead to various symptoms. Nausea can occur as a result of the body's reaction to the contrast agent. Likewise, syncope, or fainting, may happen if the vasodilation causes a sudden drop in blood pressure. Anxiety is also a common symptom tied to the physiological stress or discomfort from the procedure and the introduction of contrast. However, hypotension is not characterized as a typical symptom of a vasomotor response in this context. Instead, it is more a consequence that can result if there is a significant vasodilatory effect leading to reduced blood pressure. While hypotension may occur, it is not primarily identified as part of the vasomotor effects following contrast injection as the others. Thus, the essence of the vasomotor effects revolves around the immediate sensations and reactions to the contrast rather than the subsequent physiological changes like hypotension, which can be more indirectly related. This distinction helps clarify why hypotension stands apart in this scenario as not being a direct symptom of the vasomotor response to contrast administration.