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.
