A nurse notes an increased heart rate in a patient with heart failure. Which compensatory mechanism is likely at play?
Increased secretion of natriuretic peptides
Activation of the sympathetic nervous system
Increased cardiac fibrosis
Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
The Correct Answer is B
A. Natriuretic peptides promote vasodilation and diuresis but do not directly increase heart rate.
B. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate and contractility to maintain cardiac output in heart failure.
C. Cardiac fibrosis is a pathological change, not a compensatory mechanism causing increased heart rate.
D. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is usually activated, not inhibited, in heart failure.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. A thin and strong left ventricle is not typical of systolic heart failure.
B. A thick and weak ventricle is more characteristic of diastolic heart failure (impaired relaxation and filling).
C. Systolic heart failure involves impaired contraction of the left ventricle, which often becomes thin and weak due to ventricular dilation and loss of contractile strength.
D. A thick and strong ventricle is not typical of heart failure.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. According to the Monroe-Kellie doctrine, the skull is a closed compartment, and the total volume of brain tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) must remain constant. If one component increases, the others must decrease to maintain normal intracranial pressure (ICP).
B. Even small changes in volume can affect ICP and brain function if compensation mechanisms are exceeded.
C. The skull is rigid and does not expand, so any volume increase without compensation leads to increased ICP.
D. The components are interrelated and changes in one directly affect the others due to the closed nature of the intracranial space.
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