MEDizzy - A 24-year-old woman presents to the emergency department

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CARDIOVASCULAR PHYSIOLOGY

A 24-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with severe diarrhea. When she is supine (lying down), her blood pressure is 90/60 mmHg (decreased) and her heart rate is 100 beats/min (increased). When she is moved to a standing position, her heart rate further increases to 120 beats/min. Which of the following accounts for the further increase in heart rate upon standing?

ExplanationDiarrhea causes a loss of extracellular fluid volume, which produces a decrease in arterial pressure. The decrease in arterial pressure activates the baroreceptor mechanism, which produces an increase in heart rate when the patient is supine. When she stands up, blood pools in her leg veins and produces a decrease in venous return, a decrease in cardiac output (by the Frank-Starling mechanism), and a further decrease in arterial pressure. The further decrease in arterial pressure causes further activation of the baroreceptor mechanism and a further increase in heart rate.