A male client with venous incompetence stands up and his blood pressure drops. What is the likely physiologic change?

• A. Increase in pulse rate
• B. Decrease in respiratory rate
• C. No change in heart rate
• D. Decrease in systolic pressure

Answer: (A)

When a person stands, gravity pulls blood into the legs, reducing venous return to the heart ( preload). In venous incompetence this pooling is worse, so stroke volume drops and blood pressure can fall. To compensate, the body activates the baroreceptor reflex, increasing sympathetic activity to raise heart rate and contractility. The immediate response is a rise in pulse rate (tachycardia) to maintain cardiac output despite the reduced venous return. Other changes like a drop in systolic pressure occur as a consequence, while respiratory rate isn’t the primary compensatory mechanism and a stable or decreased heart rate wouldn’t help restore BP.