Cardiovascular and Pulmonary PT Flashcards
7 cards from real NPTE-PT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Cardiovascular and Pulmonary PT flashcards as text
A physical therapist auscultates a patient's chest and hears a high-pitched, musical wheeze during expiration. Which condition is this finding MOST consistent with?
Answer: Asthma or bronchospasm
High-pitched expiratory wheezing (sibilant rhonchi) results from narrowed lower airways during expiration, which is characteristic of bronchospasm in conditions like asthma.
At what heart rate threshold should a PT terminate exercise in a patient on a beta-blocker, given the Karvonen formula cannot be used reliably?
Answer: Rate of perceived exertion of 13-15 on the Borg scale
Beta-blockers blunt the heart rate response, making HR-based targets unreliable; RPE (Borg scale 13-15) is the preferred exercise intensity guide in these patients.
Which chest drainage position is MOST appropriate for draining the right middle lobe in postural drainage?
Answer: Left side-lying with the head of bed down 15 degrees
The right middle lobe drains optimally in the left side-lying position with slight head-down tilt (Trendelenburg), directing secretions toward the right mainstem bronchus.
A patient with heart failure has a New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III classification. What does this indicate about their functional capacity?
Answer: Symptoms with ordinary activity; marked limitation
NYHA Class III denotes marked limitation of physical activity, with symptoms occurring during ordinary activity such as walking short distances, though comfortable at rest.
A patient presents with tracheal deviation toward the right, absent breath sounds on the right, and hemodynamic instability. Which emergency condition is MOST likely?
Answer: Tension pneumothorax on the left side
Tension pneumothorax on the left shifts the trachea and mediastinum away from the affected side (toward the right) and is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate intervention.
Which outcome measure is MOST appropriate to assess functional exercise capacity in a patient with chronic heart failure?
Answer: 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
The 6MWT is a validated, submaximal functional exercise test that correlates with peak VO2 and clinical outcomes in heart failure populations.
Which of the following is an absolute contraindication to initiating cardiopulmonary physical therapy?
Answer: Unstable angina with recent pain at rest
Unstable angina with rest pain indicates critical myocardial ischemia and is an absolute contraindication to exercise or physical therapy until medically stabilized.