Ace the Geriatric Physical Therapy Exam 2025 – Elevate Your Expertise in Senior Care!

Question: 1 / 410

Which statement is not true concerning exercise with a patient who has undergone a heart transplant?

Heart rate increasing more than 60 bpm above resting level is a contraindication

The statement indicating that a heart rate increase of more than 60 beats per minute above resting levels is a contraindication is not true. After a heart transplant, patients typically experience denervation of the heart, which means that the autonomic nervous system no longer regulates heart rate in the same manner as it does in individuals with an intact heart. As a result, these patients often rely on other physiological mechanisms to increase heart rate during exercise, making it common for their heart rate to rise significantly during physical activity.

While it is important to monitor heart rates in transplant patients, a greater increase may not necessarily indicate a contraindication to exercise but rather an adaptation to their state of being. This unique response necessitates a tailored approach to exercise, underscoring the importance of individualized exercise prescription following transplantation.

The other options reflect typical observations and considerations regarding heart transplant patients, indicating that there are often lower maximum heart rates even years after the procedure, the significance of extended warm-up and cool-down periods, and the generally lower blood pressure levels post-transplant, all of which are important factors for safe and effective exercise in this population.

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Patients usually have a decreased maximum heart rate even two years after the transplant

Extended warm up and cool down periods are crucial for heart health

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be lower than normal after a transplant

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