A 24-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with severe diarrhea for the past days. She looked acutely ill and very dehydrated. Although her usual blood pressure is 120/80mmHg, it has now dropped. When she is supine (lying down), her blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg and her heart rate is 100 beats/min. When she is moved to a standing position, her heart rate further increases to 120 beats/min. She is immediately started on normal saline i.v fluids. a. What is the physiological explanation behind the drop in blood pressure? b. Explain physiologically the fast baroreceptor mechanisms that will be employed to compensate for the drop in blood pressure. c. What accounts for the change in heart rate on changing positions? d. How will iv fluids improve her blood pressure?
A 24-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with severe diarrhea for
the past days. She looked acutely ill and very dehydrated. Although her usual blood
pressure is 120/80mmHg, it has now dropped. When she is supine (lying down), her
blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg and her heart rate is 100 beats/min. When she is
moved to a standing position, her heart rate further increases to 120 beats/min. She is
immediately started on normal saline i.v fluids.
a. What is the physiological explanation behind the drop in blood pressure?
b. Explain physiologically the fast baroreceptor mechanisms that will be employed
to compensate for the drop in blood pressure.
c. What accounts for the change in heart rate on changing positions?
d. How will iv fluids improve her blood pressure?
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