A client is experiencing tachycardia. The nurse’s understanding of the physiological basis for this symptom is explained by which of the following statements?
A. The demand for oxygen is decreased because of pleural involvement.
B. The inflammatory process causes the body to demand more oxygen to meet its needs.
C. The heart has to pump faster to meet the demand for oxygen when there is lowered arterial oxygen tension.
D. Respirations are labored.
Correct Answer: C. The heart has to pump faster to meet the demand for oxygen when there is lowered arterial oxygen tension.
The arterial oxygen supply is lowered and the demand for oxygen is increased, which results in the heart having to beat faster to meet the body’s needs for oxygen. Hypoxia is a clinical state where tissues do not receive the necessary amount of oxygen to support their metabolic demand. Hypoxia can result from the inability to take in oxygen, transport the oxygen, or perform oxygen gas exchange.
Option A: Sinus tachycardia is a regular cardiac rhythm in which the heart beats faster than normal and results in an increase in cardiac output. While it is common to have sinus tachycardia as a compensatory response to exercise or stress, it becomes concerning when it occurs at rest.[1] The normal resting heart rate for adults is between 60 and 100, which varies based on the level of fitness or the presence of medical comorbidities.
Option B: In the early stages of sepsis, the large inflammatory burden will decrease systemic vascular resistance. The body compensates for decreased systemic vascular resistance by increasing heart rate, and patients (particularly pediatric patients) can be normotensive to hypertensive through this compensatory period.
Option D: Acute pulmonary emboli most often are a piece of a deep vein thrombus that has traveled through the circulation to the pulmonary vasculature, but fat emboli from an orthopedic injury, amniotic fluid emboli during pregnancy, and air emboli from instrumentation of central vasculature are all potential etiologies.
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