NR 507 ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
MIDTERM FINAL SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ What happens when cardiac fibers overstretch during diastole.
Answer: decreased contraction due to fibers being unable to snap
back
◉ What can cause increased preload. Answer: CHF and
hypervolemia
◉ What can cause decreased preload. Answer: cardiac tamponade
and hypovolemia
◉ What are two common causes of hypovolemia. Answer:
dehydration and hemorrhage
◉ Afterload. Answer: the amount of resistance to open the
semilunar valves and eject of blood from the ventricle
◉ what influences afterload (3). Answer: ventricle wall thickness
(muscle strength)
arterial pressure (resistance to ejection)
,ventricle chamber size (blood volume capacity)
◉ what can cause an increase in afterload. Answer: systemic
hypertension
valve disease
COPD (pulmonary hypertension)
◉ what can decrease afterload. Answer: hypotension or vasodilation
◉ what influences cardiac contractility (inotropic state). Answer:
levels of electrolytes
High levels of ATP
level of oxygen available
synchronous muscle contraction
◉ What electrolytes are used for cardiac muscle contraction?.
Answer: sodium potassium and calcium
◉ What increases cardiac muscle contraction. Answer: sympathetic
stimulation; fear anxiety and increased thyroxine
◉ what decreases cardiac muscle contraction. Answer: low ATP
levels; ischemia hypoxia or acidosis
, ◉ Stimulation of what set a resting HR (chronotropic state). Answer:
parasympathetic system
◉ what stimulates the parasympathetic system. Answer: the vagus
nerve
◉ What does the parasympathetic system do?. Answer: It releases
acetycholine which decreases heart rate and causes vasodilation
◉ What can extreme vagal response result in?. Answer: life
threatening bradycardia
◉ What mediates the sympathetic system. Answer: epinephrine and
norepinephrine
◉ What does the sympathetic system promote in the cardiac system.
Answer: vasoconstriction and increased HR
◉ What can uncontrolled tachycardia lead to?. Answer: reduced
stroke volume and fatigue
◉ What are the two parts of the cardiac cycle?. Answer: diastole and
systole
MIDTERM FINAL SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ What happens when cardiac fibers overstretch during diastole.
Answer: decreased contraction due to fibers being unable to snap
back
◉ What can cause increased preload. Answer: CHF and
hypervolemia
◉ What can cause decreased preload. Answer: cardiac tamponade
and hypovolemia
◉ What are two common causes of hypovolemia. Answer:
dehydration and hemorrhage
◉ Afterload. Answer: the amount of resistance to open the
semilunar valves and eject of blood from the ventricle
◉ what influences afterload (3). Answer: ventricle wall thickness
(muscle strength)
arterial pressure (resistance to ejection)
,ventricle chamber size (blood volume capacity)
◉ what can cause an increase in afterload. Answer: systemic
hypertension
valve disease
COPD (pulmonary hypertension)
◉ what can decrease afterload. Answer: hypotension or vasodilation
◉ what influences cardiac contractility (inotropic state). Answer:
levels of electrolytes
High levels of ATP
level of oxygen available
synchronous muscle contraction
◉ What electrolytes are used for cardiac muscle contraction?.
Answer: sodium potassium and calcium
◉ What increases cardiac muscle contraction. Answer: sympathetic
stimulation; fear anxiety and increased thyroxine
◉ what decreases cardiac muscle contraction. Answer: low ATP
levels; ischemia hypoxia or acidosis
, ◉ Stimulation of what set a resting HR (chronotropic state). Answer:
parasympathetic system
◉ what stimulates the parasympathetic system. Answer: the vagus
nerve
◉ What does the parasympathetic system do?. Answer: It releases
acetycholine which decreases heart rate and causes vasodilation
◉ What can extreme vagal response result in?. Answer: life
threatening bradycardia
◉ What mediates the sympathetic system. Answer: epinephrine and
norepinephrine
◉ What does the sympathetic system promote in the cardiac system.
Answer: vasoconstriction and increased HR
◉ What can uncontrolled tachycardia lead to?. Answer: reduced
stroke volume and fatigue
◉ What are the two parts of the cardiac cycle?. Answer: diastole and
systole
