Question

Assessment of a 45-year-old woman who began experiencing light-headedness during a tennis match reveals a heart rate of 155 beats/min. how would you describe this HR to EMS personnel when they arrive on the scene?

a.) the patient is demonstrating normal pulse rate for her age, gender, and activity level
b.) the patient is demonstrating supra ventricular tachycardia
c.) the patient is demonstrating tachycardia but this will likely go down at the next assessment because she just stopped playing
d.) the patient is demonstrating bradycardia that is consistent with the stimulant medication she is currently taking

Answer 1

A 45-year-old woman experiencing lightheadedness with a heart rate of 155 beats per minute is demonstrating tachycardia, a condition where HR exceeds 100 bpm. Describing her condition to EMS as tachycardia is appropriate, necessitating further evaluation and potential intervention.

Step-by-step explanation:

The assessment of a 45-year-old woman who has a heart rate (HR) of 155 beats per minute (bpm) after a tennis match is concerning, particularly if she is experiencing symptoms such as lightheadedness. For an adult, a normal resting HR is typically in the range of 60-100 bpm. Given that the patient's HR is significantly above 100 bpm and is accompanied by lightheadedness, this indicates that she is experiencing tachycardia. It's important to assess whether she is still in a post-exercise state or if the HR reflects a resting state. If she has had ample time to recover from the tennis match and her HR remains elevated, it is less likely that the tachycardia will resolve without intervention. It would be appropriate to describe her heart rate to EMS personnel as tachycardia that may require further evaluation and treatment.