A 65-year-old woman is brought to the hospital after she collapsed during working outdoor in her garden. The patient has no chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath. She has never had a similar episode. There is no family history of sudden death. The patient has a history of fibromyalgia and takes amitriptyline. The patient does not use alcohol or illicit drugs. Temperature is 41 C (105.8 F), blood pressure is 98/56 mm Hg, pulse is100/min, and respirations are 24/min. The skin is warm and red. The patient is not oriented to time, place, or person. Deep tendon reflexes and muscle tone are normal. Which of the following findings in this patient most likely explains why the patient developed symptoms while his grandson remained asymptomatic?

Question

A 65-year-old woman is brought to the hospital after she collapsed during working outdoor in her garden. The patient has no chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath. She has never had a similar episode.  There is no family history of sudden death. The patient has a history of fibromyalgia and takes amitriptyline. The patient does not use alcohol or illicit drugs.  Temperature is 41 C (105.8 F), blood pressure is 98/56 mm Hg, pulse is100/min, and respirations are 24/min.  The skin is warm and red. The patient is not oriented to time, place, or person.  Deep tendon reflexes and muscle tone are normal.  Which of the following findings in this patient most likely explains why the patient developed symptoms while his grandson remained asymptomatic?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Elderly patients are at increased risk of developing heat-related illness due to several features of normal aging that impair normal thermoregulatory mechanisms, including tonic contraction of the peripheral vasculature, reduced sweat gland density, and reduced effective epidermal area available for heat transfer.

A 65-Year-Old Woman Is Brought to the Hospital After She