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Question

Difficulty: EasyPhysiological Adaptation

A nurse is assessing a client who is recovering from a major abdominal surgery. Which vital sign change should the nurse identify as the earliest compensatory indicator of developing hypovolemic shock?

  1. Heart rate increasing from 82 to 110 beats per minuteAnswer
  2. B
    Systolic blood pressure dropping from 122 to 86 mm Hg
  3. C
    Pulse pressure widening from 40 to 60 mm Hg
  4. D
    Respiratory rate decreasing from 18 to 10 breaths per minute

Answer

Heart rate increasing from 82 to 110 beats per minute
An increasing heart rate is one of the first physiological adaptations to volume loss. The sympathetic nervous system triggers tachycardia to maintain cardiac output and tissue perfusion before systemic blood pressure begins to fall.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the physiological changes that occur during the initial stages of fluid volume loss.
The body attempts to compensate for decreased intravascular volume by activating the sympathetic nervous system.
Understanding the timeline of compensatory mechanisms is essential for early recognition of shock.
2
Evaluate the clinical signs associated with sympathetic nervous system activation.
Sympathetic activation leads to an increased heart rate (tachycardia) to maintain cardiac output before blood pressure drops.
Tachycardia serves as an early warning sign that physiological adaptation is occurring.

Key Concept

Early physiological compensation in hypovolemic shock
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Physiological Adaptation

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