Geriatrics Flashcards
What physiological change of aging occurs in the autonomic nervous system?
A. decreased beta receptor responsiveness.
B. decrease norepinephrine levels.
C. Increased acetylcholine release in response to vagal stimulation.
D. increased baroreceptor sensitivity.
A. decreased beta receptor responsiveness d/t decreased receptor affinity in altered signal transduction.
How is autonomic nervous system function altered with aging?
-Increase sympathetic nervous system activity (Decreased parasympathetic nervous system activity)
-Decreased beta receptor responsiveness
-Increased no epinephrine concentrations in the plasma
Elderly patients have decreased barrel receptor responses, this increases the risk of:
Orthostatic hypotension
Syncope
Increased hypotension with sympathectomy
How does atrial compliance and filling pressures change with aging?
Feeling pressure should increase due to the less compliant heart and vascular system. Diastolic function is decreased due to reduce compliance and increased wall, stiffness, impairing, myocardial relaxation.
True or false: aging patients have no change in systolic function.
True (assuming no prev severe cardiac events)
What is ischemic preconditioning?
When a short period of myocardial ischemia will lessen the effects of a prolonged ischemic event that occurs after. Weird.
What are some cardiovascular changes in the older adult?
-Reduction in arterial compliance
-Increased systemic, vascular resistance
-Increase in arterial stiffness, increasing the systolic blood pressure to a greater degree than the diastolic pressure.
!However, there is no change in systolic function!
What physiological change of aging occurs in the cardiovascular system?
A. increased vascular system compliance.
B. decreased mean arterial pressure.
C. Decrease pulse pressure.
D. left ventricular wall thickening.
Left ventricular wall thick
What medication in the elderly can increase risk of seizures?
Tramadol (weak opioid)
Medication in the elderly can increase the risk of central anticholinergic symptoms
Scopolamine
Compared to a 25-year-old woman, what will most likely be observed in a 65-year-old woman when rock strontium is used for neuromuscular blockade?
A. Increase duration of redosing
B. Increase initial dosing requirements
C. Onset of action will be unaffected by age
D. Onset of action will be shorter
A. Increase duration of redosing
You don’t have to redose as much.
There is not a shortened onset of action in elderly patients
What are some pharmacokinetic changes that alter the duration and elimination of NMBA’s in the elderly??
Increased total body fat
Decreased total body water
Decrease lean body mass
Decreased renal and hepatic blood flow
Decreased hepatic function
Decreased GFR
Decrease CO
