A patient completed a Phase I cardiac rehabilitation program. What outcome should be expected?

A patient completed a Phase I cardiac rehabilitation program. What outcome should be expected?

• A. Independence in self-monitored walking
• B. Increased aerobic capacity to physical activity
• C. Modification of risk factors
• D. Increased blood pressure at a given workload

Answer: (A)

Phase I rehab centers on safely restoring basic function and teaching the patient to manage activity with self-monitoring. By the end of this phase, the patient should be able to walk independently and monitor their own responses during activity—watching for symptoms, heart rate, and blood pressure and knowing when to pause or stop. This level of independence in ambulation with self-monitoring signals readiness to progress to a formal, longer-term exercise program in the next phase. Increasing aerobic capacity through a structured program and broad risk-factor modification are important components of rehabilitation, but the immediate and best indicator at this stage is the ability to ambulate without assistance while actively monitoring one’s physiological responses. An abnormal response, such as blood pressure rising at a given workload, would not be the expected outcome.

Phase I rehab centers on safely restoring basic function and teaching the patient to manage activity with self-monitoring. By the end of this phase, the patient should be able to walk independently and monitor their own responses during activity—watching for symptoms, heart rate, and blood pressure and knowing when to pause or stop. This level of independence in ambulation with self-monitoring signals readiness to progress to a formal, longer-term exercise program in the next phase.

Increasing aerobic capacity through a structured program and broad risk-factor modification are important components of rehabilitation, but the immediate and best indicator at this stage is the ability to ambulate without assistance while actively monitoring one’s physiological responses. An abnormal response, such as blood pressure rising at a given workload, would not be the expected outcome.