Ace the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Challenge 2025 – Energize Your Nursing Future!

ACE inhibitors, or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, are commonly used in the management of hypertension and heart failure. A notable and common side effect of these medications is a dry cough. This occurs due to increased levels of bradykinin, a substance that can accumulate when ACE is inhibited. The cough can be bothersome enough for some patients to discontinue use of the medication.

Additionally, ACE inhibitors can lead to hyperkalemia, which is an elevation in potassium levels in the blood. This occurs because they prevent the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, ultimately resulting in reduced aldosterone secretion. Aldosterone is a hormone that helps regulate potassium levels, and its decrease can lead to retention of potassium, resulting in hyperkalemia.

The other side effects listed in the other choices do not typically relate to ACE inhibitors. Weight gain and constipation are not common effects associated with this class of medications. Dizziness and headaches can occur with many medications but are not specifically recognized as hallmark side effects of ACE inhibitors. Nausea and vomiting, while possible side effects of many medications, are not primarily associated with ACE inhibitors either. Thus, the identification of dry cough and hyperkalemia as common side effects accurately reflects what practitioners should monitor