The Nurse Knows That Elderly Patients Are at Higher Risk

The nurse knows that elderly patients are at higher risk for complications and adverse outcomes during the intraoperative period. What is the best rationale for this phenomenon?

A) The elderly patient has a more angular bone structure than a younger person.
B) The elderly patient has reduced ability to adjust rapidly to emotional and physical stress.
C) The elderly patient has impaired thermoregulatory mechanisms, which increase susceptibility to hyperthermia.
D) The elderly patient has an impaired ability to decrease his or her metabolic rate.