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I Heart Running

A Case Study on Tachycardia in Sam the Runner

By James A. Carr, Breanna N. Harris

I Heart Running


 

Abstract

"I Heart Running" is a case study in which students diagnose the cause of exercise-induced tachycardia in an otherwise healthy, 27-year-old female. The patient, Sam, is a long-distance runner and realizes that her exercising heart rate reaches over 200 beats per minute. As the story of Sam's encounters with her physician develops, students are given results from multiple laboratory tests and detailed patient background information.  Students are guided through the material with a series of questions with the ultimate goal of determining the cause of the exercise-induced tachycardia that Sam experiences. The case study is based on actual laboratory results and was designed for students in an upper-level undergraduate Human Physiology course. In this activity students will learn about heart rate, cardiovascular physiology, and oxygen carrying capacity, and factors which influence these concepts, as they try to diagnose Sam.

   

Date Posted

8/27/2015

Overview

Objectives

  • Explain how maximum heart rate is calculated, and understand how properties of cardiac muscles and the autonomic nervous system influence heart rate.
  • Understand the physiological control of heart rate and the associated changes that occur during exercise.
  • Understand the importance of oxygen carrying capacity in endurance activity
  • Compare and contrast patient symptoms to those which occur in specific diseases/disorders associated with tachycardia.
  • Understand, explain and interpret data from a complete blood count, fasting lipid panel, iron panel, metabolic panel, pregnancy test, thyroid function test, B12 and folate test, urinalysis, Bruce Protocol stress test, and echocardiogram.

Keywords

Tachycardia; heart rate; ECG; Electrocardiogram; exercise; cardiovascular; running; cardiac myocyte; SA node; anemia; cardiac output; Bruce Protocol

  

Subject Headings

Anatomy
Biology (General)
Nursing
Physiology
Sports Science

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division

  

FORMAT

PDF

   

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Analysis (Issues), Directed, Interrupted

 

 

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