Question

Your adult patient was entrapped by dirt up to his mid-abdominal area for a few hours while rescue crews worked to free him. Once on the cardiac monitor, why would tall, tented T waves become evident quickly?

A. Hyperkalemia caused by the sudden influx of potassium

B. Myocardial ischemia caused by decreased available oxygen for the myocardium

C. Hypokalemia associated with the sudden release of the compressive force

D. Cardiac tamponade associated with increased intrathoracic pressure and blood pressure

Answer 1

When a patient is entrapped by dirt up to their mid-abdominal area for a few hours, it can lead to decreased oxygen supply to the myocardium, causing myocardial ischemia. One of the signs of myocardial ischemia on a cardiac monitor is the appearance of tall, tented T waves.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a patient is entrapped by dirt up to their mid-abdominal area for a few hours, it can lead to decreased oxygen supply to the myocardium. This can cause myocardial ischemia, which is a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle. One of the signs of myocardial ischemia on a cardiac monitor is the appearance of tall, tented T waves. These T waves appear higher and more peaked than normal T waves, and can indicate a problem with the heart's electrical activity.