Author: Anonymous

Your patient is complaining of bilateral leg pain when he walks.  He reports that sometimes he can walk 15 minutes and other times he can walk only 5 minutes before the onset of pain.  He states that he can walk longer when going uphill.  He describes his pain as cramping and tingling.  He also reports pain with prolonged standing.  Sitting immediately relieves the pain.  What do you suspect is causing his symptoms?

Mrs. F is 72 years old.  She had hip surgery three days ago.  You saw her yesterday and noted that her mobility was severely impaired due to her pain levels.  The physician increased her oral pain medication today.  Being aware of her pain medication schedule, how would you proceed?

Mrs. Q, age 78, is coming to physical therapy for treatment of spinal stenosis.  She has been progressing well with your treatment intervention.  This afternoon she comes to her therapy appointment and reports a sudden onset of 9/10 pain in her lower leg which began earlier in the day.  She complains of numbness and tingling in the same lower leg area.  Upon assessment, you note that the skin is very pale and you are unable to palpate extremity pulses.  What do you suspect is happening with this patient?

Mr. A is 58 years old and has been receiving physical therapy treatment for osteoarthritis of his hips and spine over the past four weeks.  His medical history is positive for hypertension.  He was recently diagnosed with elevated cholesterol and one week ago began taking a “statin” drug.  He was progressing well until his last visit.  He began reporting more generalized muscle and joint pain.  What do you suspect is causing this increased pain?

Your patient has a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse.  Where is the mitral valve located?

Your patient is from a Polish culture.  He has a love of butter and fatty meats.  He has been recently diagnosed with hypertension and elevated cholesterol which is exacerbated by his poor dietary choices.  He did already receive nutritional information from his physician.  He has been referred to physical therapy for a fitness program.  How can you support this patient’s nutritional program while respecting his cultural background?

A physical therapist is screening teenage athletes prior to a football camp.  One of the screening questions relates to coarctation of the aorta.  Which of the following procedures would screen for this condition?

The physical therapy department has been asked to participate in an interdisciplinary smoking cessation program.  Using the Florida Physical Therapy Practice Act as a framework, which of the following strategies would NOT be appropriate for a physical therapist to utilize when supporting a patient’s smoking cessation program?

A physical therapist monitors the blood pressure response to exercise of a 42 year old male on a stationary bicycle.  The therapist notes a relatively linear increase in systolic blood pressure with increasing exercise intensity.  The change in the patient’s systolic blood pressure with exercise is BEST explained by  _________________________________.

Your patient reports episodes of heart palpitations.  She describes her heart “racing out of her chest.”  How long should you monitor her pulse?