JBL EMT Practice Exam

You suspect that a 75-year-old man has internal injuries after he fell and struck his ribs and abdomen on the corner of a table. When assessing and treating an injured patient of this age, you must recall that:

1. blood pressure is usually adequately maintained because the blood vessels of older people can contract easily

2. functional blood volume in patients of this age steadily increases due to increased production of red blood cells

3. his ability to physiologically compensate for his injury might be impaired due to an inability to increase cardiac output

4. it is not uncommon to observe heart rates in excess of 150 beats/min in elderly patients with internal injuries

The correct answer is: blood pressure is usually adequately maintained because the blood vessels of older people can contract easily

As people age, their blood vessels tend to lose some of their elasticity and become stiffer, making it difficult for them to contract as easily as they did in their younger years. This can lead to a decrease in blood pressure in older adults. B, C, and D are incorrect options because they do not take into account the normal changes that occur in the aging body. Functional blood volume does not increase with age, cardiac output may decrease rather than increase in older adults, and heart rates in excess of 150 beats/min are not common in this age group.