Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification Practice Exam 2025 - Free Cardiac Vascular Nursing Practice Questions and Study Guide

Acute target-organ damage refers to damage that occurs to specific organs as a result of a sudden and significant increase in blood pressure or other acute medical conditions. In this context, encephalopathy is the correct choice as it signifies a form of brain dysfunction that can occur due to acute hypertension, leading to complications like confusion, altered mental status, or even coma. This condition exemplifies immediate damage to an organ—in this case, the brain—stemming from elevated blood pressure.

Chronic asthma and seasonal allergies do not illustrate acute damage to target organs related to hypertension; instead, they are chronic respiratory conditions that primarily affect the lungs over a longer duration. Hypertension itself refers to high blood pressure but is characterized as a disease process rather than an acute episode leading to organ damage. Hence, encephalopathy stands out as the condition that directly ties to acute target-organ damage in this scenario.