CCT Cardiac Rehabilitation & Exercise Physiology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of Phase I cardiac rehabilitation?
- Weight loss and dietary counseling
- Early mobilization and patient education (Correct answer)
- High-intensity aerobic conditioning
- Surgical wound management
Correct answer: Early mobilization and patient education
Phase I cardiac rehabilitation focuses on early mobilization to prevent deconditioning and patient/family education while the patient is still hospitalized.
Question 2: What MET level is generally considered safe for most discharge activities after an uncomplicated myocardial infarction?
- 1-2 METs
- 3-5 METs (Correct answer)
- 6-8 METs
- 9-11 METs
Correct answer: 3-5 METs
Activities of 3-5 METs, such as slow walking and light household tasks, are generally appropriate at hospital discharge after an uncomplicated MI.
Question 3: Which blood pressure response during cardiac rehabilitation exercise should prompt IMMEDIATE cessation?
- Heart rate increase of 20 bpm above resting
- Systolic BP drop of >10 mmHg with increasing workload (Correct answer)
- Respiratory rate increase to 18 breaths per minute
- Oxygen saturation of 97%
Correct answer: Systolic BP drop of >10 mmHg with increasing workload
A systolic blood pressure drop of more than 10 mmHg with increasing exercise workload indicates exertional hypotension, reflecting inadequate cardiac output and requiring immediate cessation.
Question 4: The original Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale ranges from:
- 1 to 10
- 6 to 20 (Correct answer)
- 0 to 100
- 0 to 10
Correct answer: 6 to 20
The original Borg RPE scale ranges from 6 to 20, where 6 represents no exertion and 20 represents maximal exertion, values that roughly correspond to heart rate when multiplied by 10.
Question 5: What is the typical target heart rate range recommended during Phase II cardiac rehabilitation?
- 40-50% of maximum heart rate
- 60-80% of heart rate reserve (Correct answer)
- 90-100% of maximum heart rate
- 30-40% of heart rate reserve
Correct answer: 60-80% of heart rate reserve
Phase II cardiac rehabilitation targets 60-80% of heart rate reserve using the Karvonen formula to achieve cardiovascular conditioning while maintaining patient safety.
Question 6: Phase II cardiac rehabilitation is conducted in which setting?
- Intensive care unit
- Inpatient hospital ward
- Supervised outpatient clinic (Correct answer)
- Home without supervision
Correct answer: Supervised outpatient clinic
Phase II cardiac rehabilitation occurs in a supervised outpatient clinical setting, typically lasting 8-12 weeks with continuous ECG monitoring and professional oversight.
Question 7: Which of the following is an ABSOLUTE contraindication to initiating cardiac rehabilitation exercise?
- Mild stable angina
- Controlled hypertension
- Unstable angina at rest (Correct answer)
- Atrial fibrillation with controlled ventricular rate
Correct answer: Unstable angina at rest
Unstable angina at rest is an absolute contraindication to exercise in cardiac rehabilitation because it indicates active myocardial ischemia that could worsen dangerously with exertion.
CCT Cardiac Rehabilitation & Exercise Physiology 1
What is the primary goal of Phase I cardiac rehabilitation?