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CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Unit Introduction: “Heart Disease – What Do You Know?”
Name: _______________________________________Date:________Period:________
In this CardioHEADS unit, you will learn about the heart and how the heart can become
damaged. You will learn about risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD),
how CVD can be evaluated and treated, and related health careers. Throughout the
course of this unit, you will perform various experiments and role play activities.
However, before you begin, it is important to think about all of the things you already
know about the heart and heart problems by answering the questions below. When you
finish the unit, you can review your answers and see how much you have learned!
Questions:
1. What is a heart? ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
2. Draw and label a picture of a heart.
3. What is the function of the heart (what does a heart do)?____________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
4. What is blood?__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
5. What is the main function of blood (what does blood do)?_________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
6. Why do our cells need oxygen?________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
7. What are blood vessels?______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
8. What is the function of blood vessels (what do blood vessels do)?_____________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
9. Do you know anyone who has had a heart attack?_________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
10. What do you think a heart attack is?____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
11. What do you think causes heart attacks (list all the contributing factors you can
think of)?_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
12. What do you think you can do to decrease your chances of having a heart attack?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
13. What do Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s) do?____________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
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CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 1: “Drugged out Daphnia”
Name:_____________________________________Date:____________Period:_____
Introduction:
In this activity, you will use organisms called Daphnia (water fleas) to explore how
different situations can effect how the heart functions. The Daphnia can be found in
freshwater environments around the world. As shown in the picture, Daphnia are kidneyshaped and only have a single, compound eye. Daphnia have leaf-like limbs that create a
current of water which they use to carry food and oxygen to their mouth and gills.
Daphnia will be used in this experiment because their bodies are almost transparent; thus,
you can directly measure their heart rate because you can
see their hearts beating under a microscope.
Daphnia are very sensitive to changes in their environment.
Just like the functions associated with our heart in our
bodies, the body systems in Daphnia respond to changes in
their environment. In this experiment you will expose
Daphnia to different chemical solutions and observe how
Daphnia hearts react.
Beginning the Experiment
Your teacher will help you brainstorm ideas
about substances that people use regularly that
can affect heart rate in humans and in Daphnia. This information will help
you decide what you would like to change or manipulate when you design
and perform your own experiment following the steps of the scientific process (i.e.,
forming a question, corresponding hypothesis, etc.).
I. Defining Your Dependent Variable:
The dependent variable is what you measure in an experiment. In this experiment, you
and your group will be measuring heart rate in Daphnia. Discuss how you will measure
the heart rate in Daphnia and then write the dependent variable on a sticky note and place
it in the square below (or you may just write your answer in the square).
Dependent Variable:
We will measure
II. Brainstorming Independent Variables
As a class, you have discussed of the kinds of substances that people put into their bodies
that might affect heart rate. Now, your group will select four substances that might affect
the heart rate in Daphnia. Write the names of four of the substances you have chosen and
on sticky notes and place them below (or write them out in the squares below).
We think the following substances could affect the dependent variable (what we will
measure).
III. Experimental Design - Identifying Variables:
Which of the four variables above would you like to change in your experiment? This
variable will be your independent variable. Move the sticky note of the item your group
selected and place it (or write it) in the square below. Then, move the sticky note of the
dependent variable you selected below, or rewrite it in the square below.
Independent Variable:
We will change
Dependent Variable:
We will measure
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IV. Scientific Question:
In this experiment, you have already identified your variables. Think about a scientific
question that you could ask about the two variables and write it below. This question will
set the stage for your experiment.
___________________________________________________________________,
___________________________________________________________________?
V. Hypothesis:
Based on what you know about heart rate and your question above, what do you think
will happen when you make the change? In a complete sentence, state your hypothesis
(predict how a change or substance will affect heart rate).
_______________________________________________________________________,
_______________________________________________________________________.
VI. The Control Group
Before you begin measuring heart rate under experimental conditions, you must record
the heart rate of Daphnia under “normal” conditions. In other words, you need to have a
“baseline” heart rate (normal heart rate) to compare to the heart rate of the Daphnia when
you introduce new substances. The Daphnia under normal conditions will be the control
group. On the spaces below, make a list of things that you think would create “normal”
conditions for Daphnia. These ideas may be compiled to create a group of Daphnia kept
at “normal” conditions for the whole class.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
VII. Finishing the Experimental Design:
Keeping Things Fair: To be fair, you will need to keep everything the same in your
experiment except for your independent variable. Think about what you kept the same in
other experiments that you have done in previous science classes. What will you keep
the same in this experiment? Hints: How long will you allow for the change to take
place and how many times will you run or repeat the experiment (number of trials)?
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We will keep the same:
The teacher has approved this experimental design.
VIII. Experimental Procedure:
Experimental Procedure – Control Group Measurements
In this part of the experiment, you will take measurements for the control group of
Daphnia. The control group Daphnia have been placed into a large container under the
conditions that were determined to be “normal” by your class. Maintaining a control
group of Daphnia is important because everything must remain the same or constant
except for the independent variable. You will be given numbered containers that contain
the water with “normal” conditions so that you can retrieve Daphnia from the larger
container for your control group measurements. Follow the experimental procedures and
record your measurements in the control subject table.
1. Obtain several control group Daphnia, glass slides, cover slips, and microscope
from your teacher.
2. In the table below, fill in the blank about what is “normal” or kept constant for
this experiment.
3. Using an eyedropper, place one of these Daphnia in a drop of water on the slide.
Place the cover slip on top of the water droplet and observe it on the microscope
using low power. Caution: the light from the microscope will heat up the
water and the Daphnia!
4. Now, return the Daphnia into the container control or “normal” conditions for the
length of time you chose for your experimental design.
5. While the first Daphnia is being exposed to “normal” conditions, move on to the
next Daphnia and observe your next “before” heart rate measurement.
6. In the meantime, measure another Daphnia for another control group “before”
data point. Once all before measurements have been taken and the allotted time is
finished begin taking your “after” measurements.
7. Record the data in the tables below.
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Daphnia Control Group Table:
Control Group - What are the “normal” conditions? __________
_________________________________________________________
Daphnia
Before
Measurement
Amount of Time
Between
Measurements
________
minutes
After
Measurement
After - Before
1
2
3
Total Difference (After–Before):
Average Difference (Total Difference ÷ Total # of
Control Subjects):
Experimental Procedure – Experimental Group Measurements
Your teacher will take the “normal” water and place it into smaller numbered containers.
The substance that you selected as your independent variable will be added to these
containers and prepared ahead of time for you by your teacher. Follow the directions
below for your experiment.
1. Obtain three containers of water with Daphnia in “normal” conditions and three
additional containers of water that contains the substance you selected
(independent variable).
2. Record which substance you are using as your independent variable in the top
portion of the table below.
3. Remove the first Daphnia from the normal water conditions to measure it
“before” it is exposed to the water containing your independent variable.
4. Using an eyedropper to place one Daphnia in a drop of water on the slide, place
the cover slip on top and observe under the low power. Caution: the light from the
microscope will heat up the water and the Daphnia!
5. Record the observed heart rate measurements on the table below.
6. Now, place the Daphnia into the container with the substance (independent
variable) for the length of time you chose for your experimental design.
7. While the first Daphnia is being exposed to the independent variable, move on to
the next Daphnia and observe your next ‘before’ heart rate measurement.
8. Important: Make sure you clean the slide in between trials to remove residue of
the substance before observing another Daphnia’s heart rate.
9. If the last Daphnia is ready for the “after” measurement, repeat the above
procedures and finish recording your data.
10. Your teacher will have a new container for you to place your exposed Daphnia to
minimize spreading the substance around to the “normal” water.
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Daphnia Experimental Group:
Experimental Subjects – What are the Daphnia exposed to?
_________________________(type of chemical – independent variable).
Daphnia
Before
Measurement
Amount of Time
After
Exposed to
Measurement
Substance
________
minutes
After - Before
1
2
3
Total Difference (After–Before):
Average Difference (Total Difference ÷ Total # of
Control Subjects):
Conclusions:
1. In the tables above, calculate the differences between the before and after
measurements. Then average the differences for both the control and experimental
groups.
2. Compare these data. Was your hypothesis supported? Write your answer in a
complete sentence below.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Look at the class data. Which substances caused the heart rate to increase?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. Which substances caused the heart rate to decrease?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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5. Think of some other chemicals that you may be exposed to in your daily life that
could have an effect on your heart rate as well as other body functions (examples:
caffeine, sugar). Make a list of these chemicals and how you think they may
affect your body.
6. If you used large amounts of these chemicals (those listed in the chart below) on a
regular basis, do you think that there could be any negative health affects? If so, what
could happen?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Chemical
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
Effect
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
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CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 2: “Blue Genes”
Name:_____________________________________Date:____________Period:_____
Warm Up:
Review and Show What You Know: Answer the following questions to help you review
what you know about cardiovascular disease (CVD) and what your chances are of
developing one.
In Activity 1, which
From which Do you know
If you were to
substances caused the
parent do
anyone who has
inherit CVD, what
Daphnia heart rate to
you get your CVD?
could you do to
increase significantly?
eye color?
improve your
health?
Introduction:
All people inherit traits or genes from their parents; they get half from their mother and half from their
father. The combination of genes is what makes you unique (rather than merely a copy of your mother
or your father). Everything from eye color to the shape of your nose comes from the genes your
parents pass on to you. Unfortunately, not everything you inherit from your parents is beneficial.
Sometimes you inherit health problems. If you inherited a health problem from someone in your
family, it is considered genetic. If your health problems develop because of something you do—like
smoking or poor exercise habits—then it is considered environmental.
Cardiovascular disease can be influenced by both genetic and environmental risk factors. Some of the
genetic risk factors for CVD include the tendency to develop type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and
high blood pressure. In this activity, we will look at how these different genetic factors are passed
from parents to their children. We will also examine the probability that a “child” with a particular
collection of genes could develop type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Risk Factor—Background:
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin or is unable to respond to
insulin. Insulin is a hormone that causes the cells of our body to take up glucose. When there is not
enough insulin present in our bodies or if we are unable to respond to insulin, glucose from the food
we eat remains in our blood rather than entering our cells. When this happens, the glucose remains in
the blood, resulting in high blood glucose levels, but our cells do not get the food they need to generate
energy. High levels of glucose in blood can lead to an injury to our blood vessels: plaque buildup.
Thus, diabetes is a condition that can lead to the development of CVD.
Type 2 diabetes is one type of diabetes. In this type of diabetes, people lose their ability to respond to
insulin. This type of diabetes has a strong genetic component, although it is also influenced by weight,
exercise and diet. This activity will address the genetic contribution to the development of type 2
diabetes. There are many different inherited factors that influence the development of diabetes, so the
inheritance of type 2 diabetes is complex.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fat or lipid. You cannot live without it. Cholesterol is an essential part of your cell
membranes. In addition, hormones such as estrogen and testosterone are made from cholesterol.
However, too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to CVD.
Cholesterol is found in two forms in the bloodstream. One form, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), is
known as “bad” cholesterol because high LDL levels cause plaque buildup. When LDL levels are too
high, LDLs will enter and build up within the blood vessel walls. Once LDLs have accumulated in
the blood vessel wall, they can cause damage to the blood vessels causing yet further plaque buildup in
the area. The other form of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) does not enter the blood vessel
walls and is thus known as “good” cholesterol.
Our body is able to make cholesterol. We also get cholesterol from the foods we eat (cholesterol is
particularly high in meats, eggs, and many fried foods). Total cholesterol levels are controlled by
genetic factors as well as environmental factors such as weight, diet, and exercise. This activity will
look at the genetic factors only. As was the case with type 2 diabetes, there are several different
genetic components that influence cholesterol levels in the blood.
High blood pressure
Yet another inherited condition that leads to CVD is high blood pressure. Blood pressure
measurements have two numbers. One number represents the pressure within your arteries when the
ventricles of your heart are contracting. The second number represents the pressure within your
arteries when you heart is relaxed. High blood pressure puts stress on the blood vessel walls, causing
minor injuries that start or increase the plaque buildup process.
Blood pressure tends to increase with age as your arteries become less flexible and thus less able to
expand when the heart contacts and forces blood into the arteries. High blood pressure is caused by
both genetic factors and environmental factors, such as weight and diet. High blood pressure can be
influenced by several different genetic factors.
Scientific Question:
In this activity you will explore the following question:
Which members of a hypothetical family are most likely to develop CVD at some time during their
lives?
Experimental Design
The genes influencing the development of the different conditions leading to CVD will be represented
by different shapes. The color of the shapes will tell whether the gene is good or bad.
Red colored shapes will result in the development of the disease.
Blue colored shapes will not result in development of the disease.
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You will start with two parents. The shapes representing the genetic makeup of the parents are
contained in two bags.
The mother has type 2 diabetes. She has 5 red circles and 1 blue circle.
She does not have high cholesterol. She has 1 red triangle and 3 blue triangles
She does not have high blood pressure. She has no red squares and 4 blue squares.
The father does not have type 2 diabetes. He has 2 red circles and 4 blue circles.
He has high cholesterol. He has 4 red triangles and no blue triangles.
He has average blood pressure. He has 2 red squares and 2 blue squares.
You will select shapes from the parents’ genetic makeup bags to determine the genetic makeup of your
children. Remember that children inherit half of their genetic material from their mothers and half
from their fathers. Thus, you will be mixing half of the mom’s genetic material with half of the dad’s
genetic material to make each child. You will then make predictions as to how likely the children are
to develop CVD based on their genetic makeup.
Experimental Procedures:
1. From the bag marked “mother,” pick 3 round shapes, 2 triangular shapes, and 2 square shapes.
2. From the bag marked “father,” pick 3 round shapes, 2 triangular shapes, and 2 square shapes.
3. The shapes you have drawn represent the genetic makeup of this couple’s first child. Color the
symbols below red or blue to show the genetic makeup of this child.
Child 1
type 2 diabetes
high cholesterol
high blood pressure
4. Put the shapes back and repeat the process to generate a second child. Note the results below.
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Child 2
type 2 diabetes
high cholesterol
high blood pressure
Conclusions:
What risk factors for CVD does the first child have (or is likely to develop over time)?
What risk factors for CVD does the second child have (or is likely to develop over time)?
Can we say for sure that the first child will develop any of these conditions?
If someone had 3 red squares and one blue square, does that guarantee that they will have high blood
pressure?
Wrap Up:
Answer the following questions. Circle Yes or No for questions 1-4 and then use that information to
help estimate your own probability of developing genetic risk factors of CVD.
1. Does anyone in your family have type 2 diabetes? Yes / No
2. Does anyone in your family have high cholesterol? Yes / No
3. Does anyone in your family have high blood pressure? Yes / No
4. Has anyone in your family had a heart attack or stroke when they were younger than 60? Yes / No
5. Based on your answers above, are you likely to develop any risk factors for CVD?
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CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 3: “ All Clogged Up”
Name:_____________________________Date:___________________Period:_______
Introduction:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the Nation's leading killer for both men and women
among all racial and ethnic groups. Almost one million Americans die of CVD each
year, which adds up to 42% of all deaths. Cardiovascular disease occurs when a pasty or
sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries, thereby decreasing and/or
preventing blood flow to cells, which leads to heart attack and/or stroke. In this activity,
you will determine how a range of plaque buildup affects the flow of blood.
Review and Predict: Use your prior knowledge to answer the following questions about heart
disease.
What do you think happens What happens when
Thinking back on the Daphnia
during a heart attack?
you stick gum in a
activity, what things affected the
straw? Is the flow
heart rate of the Daphnia and
affected and how?
how?
Background:
What happens in cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular disease begins with atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque in our
arteries. The word atherosclerosis comes from the two Greek words: athero – paste, and
sclerosis – hard. Thus, atherosclerosis refers to the buildup of a paste (called plaque) in
our blood vessels and the hardening of our arteries.
What causes plaque to buildup on the walls of our blood vessels?
Plaque is made up of various fats, cells or pieces of dead cells, and calcium. The buildup
of plaque begins when we are young children and continues slowly throughout our lives.
Plaque buildup can be caused by minor damage to the artery walls. Some of the things
that cause minor damage include: eating fatty foods, smoking cigarettes, being
overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The lining of a healthy
artery is smooth, whereas the lining of an unhealthy artery looks lumpy and rough, like
the pictures below.
What are the affects of plaque buildup?
The roughness and lumps that can form inside of our arteries may block the flow of blood
in them and thereby reduce the oxygen supply that our body needs. Blood clots (nonflowing blood that is coagulated) also tend to form near areas of plaque buildup.
Sometimes these blood clots break loose and get stuck in narrower vessels of the body,
causing severe problems, including heart attacks and strokes.
Heart attack
A heart attack occurs when one or more of the arteries of the heart is completely blocked
by plaque or a blood clot. When the flow of blood stops or is significantly diminished,
cells of the heart do not receive oxygen and they begin to die. This causes the heart to
beat less efficiently or not at all. Depending on which artery is blocked, damage will
occur to different parts of the heart and potentially cause permanent damage.
A block in the artery will
prevent blood from
reaching the heart below
the artery
2
Stroke
A stroke is similar to a heart attack, except that it affects the brain rather than the heart.
Plaque or blood clots block the flow of blood to the brain causing part of the brain to die.
This is a very serious condition that can result in paralysis (loss of the use of arms, legs or
other body parts) or death.
Beginning the Experiment
As a class, you will brainstorm ideas about what a clogged or blocked
artery would look like and how it might impair or slow blood flow.
Begin this activity by visualizing how you could create a model that
would represent a clogged artery. In this experiment, you will not only
design your experimental procedures, but you will also create an artery
model that will help you answer your scientific question.
I. Defining Your Dependent Variable:
As you know from previous experiments, the dependent variable is what you measure in
an experiment. This experiment is about the flow of blood through arteries (Hint: How
you will measure the rate at which blood flows through a clogged vessel). Now, write the
dependent variable on a sticky note and place it in the square or just write your answer in
the square below.
Dependent Variable:
We will measure
II. Brainstorming Independent Variables
You are looking to find the range of blockages that have an affect on the blood flow.
What percent of plaque buildup would produce enough blockage in the blood vessel to
reduce the flow of blood and reduce the oxygen supply our heart needs? What would be
the smallest percent of blockage that would impair or slow the flow of blood? What
would be the largest blockage that one could have but would still allow blood to flow
through? Use the following squares to place sticky notes with four different size
blockages that your class or group comes up with to answer these questions. You will
select one of these ideas for your independent variable.
III. Identifying variables:
Which of the four variables above have you selected as the independent variable in your
experiment? Move the sticky note of the item you chose and place it in the square below.
Then, move the sticky note of the dependent variable you selected to the appropriate
space below.
Independent Variable:
We will change
Dependent Variable:
We will measure
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IV. Formulating Your Scientific Question:
To formulate your question it is important to recall what you have already learned about
the topic under investigation. In the spaces below, write a scientific question that
includes these facts. This question will set the stage for your investigation. It will help
you form a hypothesis and design an experiment to answer the question. It might be
helpful to look at your questions in previous experiments. Remember to include the
dependant and independent variables in your question.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________?
V. Hypothesis:
A hypothesis brings together your scientific question and the information you already
have about the topic. This combination is your prediction about what will happen when
you manipulate the independent variable. In the space below, write your hypothesis.
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
VI. Experimental Method Design: Note: If your teacher has already made artery
models for you to use, skip this section and go on to VII.
In this next section, you will come up with ideas about how to construct an artery model
that will answer your scientific question. Remember, you want to know whether the
obstruction changes the flow of blood, so you will also have to create a control model as
well. Think of everyday materials could you use which could easily be brought to class
or that you may already have in your classroom and answer the questions below.
1.) What materials would make a good model of an artery?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
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2.) What materials could you use to create the blockage that you selected for your
independent variable?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
3.) What did your group or class decide would be a good substitute for blood?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
4.) How will you get the blood substitute to flow and how will you measure the flow
AND how can you keep this measurement consistent?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
5.) How is the control model in this experiment different than the experimental
model?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
6.) How you will construct your model? On the back side of this paper, draw or
write in detail what the model will look like.
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7.) Think about your model and your experiment. Are there any other materials you
may need to help you observe the flow of “blood” through the artery models? If
so, list them below:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
8.) Use the space below to describe any additional details you want to include in your
experiment or model.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
VII. Finishing the Experimental Design:
Keeping Things Fair: To be fair, you will need to keep everything the same or constant in
your experiment except the independent variable. What things will you keep the same in
your experiment? Additionally, think about how you will measure the flow of “blood”
and how you will have to keep that consistent.
We will keep the same:
The teacher has approved this experimental design.
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VIII. Experimental Procedures – Using Your Artery Model to Collect Data:
In this activity, you have not only designed your own experiment, but you have created a
working model to use in your data collection process to see if your hypothesis is
supported. It is important that you follow BOTH your experimental design and the
details of how your model will work to answer your scientific question.
1.) The following table was created for you to help you organize your data. Run a
number of trials with your artery models and record the data below.
Trial
Time for “Blood” to Flow
Through (seconds)
Control Artery (no blockage)
Time for “Blood” to Flow
Through (seconds)
________Percent Blocked
Artery
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Total Time
– All Trials
Average
(Total ÷ #
of Trials)
2.) As a class, you will compile averages for all of the students’ experiments. Use the
back of this paper or your own paper to graph the class data. You will use the
information from your graph to answer the conclusion questions below.
IX. Written Conclusions or Class Wrap Up:
1.) Based on the results of your experiment, would you say that your hypothesis is
“supported”? Yes or No (circle one)
2.) Based on the class data, what percent of plaque buildup produced enough blockage in
the artery to begin to significantly reduce the flow of blood?
___________________________________________________________________
3.) Based on the class data, what was be the largest blockage that one could have, but
would still allow blood to flow through?
___________________________________________________________________
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Extension Questions:
1. Remembering that one of the main functions of blood is to carry oxygen
throughout our body, what do you think will happen to the amount of oxygen
reaching other areas of the body that are beyond the blockage caused by plaque
buildup?
2. Our cells need oxygen to carry out their functions. What will be the affect of
reduced oxygen on the ability of cells to carry out their functions?
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CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 4: “Lethal Dose”
[Adapted from a similar activity developed in the Entomology Department at Purdue University.]
Name:_____________________________________Date:____________Period:_____
Introduction:
Nicotine is a chemical found in the tobacco plant and is present
in chewing tobacco and cigarettes. Nicotine is toxic to insects
and is often used as an insecticide. The following activity
explores the effect of nicotine on fruit flies (also known as
Drosophila). The fruit flies you will expose to nicotine are
wingless. They became wingless through genetic mutation and
have been bred for genetic and other scientific studies.
This activity will measure the time to “knock-down” fruit flies
exposed to nicotine from tobacco. Knock-down refers to the
inability of the insect to function normally. During “knockdown,” the fly will twitch and
possibly pass out. If an insect is lying on its’ back or side, it counts as knock-down. You
will administer the nicotine by placing the Drosophila into Petri dishes coated with
nicotine from the tobacco. Your teacher will have the coated Petri dishes prepared ahead
of time for you to use for this lab activity. You may or may not be able to see the
nicotine coating on the Petri dish.
Background Information--Nicotine:
Nicotine is a chemical found in the tobacco plant. When nicotine is present in the body,
it causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. The pleasant effects felt by many
people result from several actions of nicotine on the brain’s reward center, as well as
stimulating the release of endorphins – chemicals that produce a feeling of well-being.
These pleasant effects are outweighed, however, by nicotine’s harmful characteristics.
Nicotine is highly addictive. Neurons (nerve cells) stimulated by the presence of
nicotine become accustomed to higher than normal levels of electrical activity. When
nicotine is absent, the neurons experience a decrease in electrical activity, which can
cause unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal.
Smokers typically absorb one milligram (mg) of nicotine per cigarette smoked. 50-60
mgs of nicotine is considered a lethal (deadly) dose. Every time someone smokes a
cigarette, they are consuming 1/50 of a lethal dose of poison.
Question:
As described above, the fruit flies will be exposed to nicotine that
comes from shaking a small amount of tobacco in a Petri dish (which
will then be discarded). Before you perform the lab procedures,
consider the following question to help you form your hypothesis
below.
How does the amount of nicotine from tobacco affect knock-down time?
Hypothesis:
Form a hypothesis, or “educated guess” about how the amount of nicotine from the
tobacco will affect the knock-down time of Drosophila. Write your hypothesis in a
complete sentence in the space below.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
Variables:
Remember, an important part of designing an experiment is identifying variables. The
independent variable is the thing we will change in our experiment. The dependent
variable is the thing we measure in our experiment to see if it has been affected. What
are the variables in this experiment?
Independent Variable: _______________________
Dependent Variable: _______________________
Experimental Procedure:
1.) Place 5 insects in an empty Petri dish and close the lid. This will be your control
group. Begin timing as soon as insects are in the dish. Record the amount of time
it takes for all 5 insects to experience knock-down. This Petri dish will be
labeled: “0 tsp – Control Group”.
2.) Obtain Petri dishes labeled 1/8 tsp, 1/4 tsp, and 1/2 tsp.
3.) Get ready to record time.
4.) Place 5 insects in one of the tobacco-coated dishes and close the lid. Begin timing
as soon as insects are in the dish. On the data table below, record the amount of
time it takes for all 5 insects to experience knock-down.
5.) Repeat steps 2-4 for the other amounts of tobacco.
6.) Use the table below to record the time it took for all 5 flies to experience knockdown for each amount of tobacco.
0 tsp (Control
group of
Drosophila)
Amount of
Tobacco
1/8 tsp Tobacco
1/4 tsp Tobacco
1/2 tsp Tobacco
Time to
Knockdown
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Conclusions:
1. What can you conclude about the affect of the different amounts of tobacco on knockdown time in flies?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
2. Was you hypothesis supported? Write your response in a complete sentence.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
Assessment:
Answer the following questions.
1. The main purpose of the heart is to pump blood throughout the body.
True False
2. Blood is only pumped to a few major parts of the body.
True False
3. The way you treat your body does not have an affect on how your heart works.
True False
4. If your family has a history of heart disease, you may also be at a higher risk for
developing heart disease.
True False
5. Smoking cigarettes may cause injury to parts of your body besides your lungs.
True False
6. If you have a family history of diabetes or if you have diabetes, it increases your
risk of developing heart disease.
True False
7. If you have high total cholesterol levels, it increases your risk of for developing
heart disease.
True False
8. If you smoke, it increases your risk of developing heart disease.
True False
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9. What is atherosclerosis? Describe it as simply as possible in complete sentences.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
10. What are some causes of atherosclerosis?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
11. Thinking back to the Daphnia activity, what things affected the heart rate of the
daphnia and how?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
12. If you were to inherit CVD, what could you do to improve your health?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
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CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 5: “Heart Bypass Surgery”
Name:_________________________________Date:________________Period:______
Warm Up:
Review and Predict: Use your prior knowledge to answer the following questions (please use
what you learned in Level III - Activity 3 to help you).
What is the cause of heart
If arteries leading to the What might a doctor do to
attacks?
heart are blocked, what repair arteries that are blocked
happens to the part of
and leading to the heart itself?
the heart that is starved
of oxygen?
Introduction:
In the previous activities, you learned about things that affect the heart, including risk
factors associated with heart disease. This activity has two parts: In the first part you
will perform a heart dissection to see and feel the structures of the heart firsthand. In the
second part of this activity, you will simulate heart surgery, thus giving you the
opportunity to be a cardiologist and perform a bypass surgery.
Background Information - Cardiologist (M.D.)
Duties and Responsibilities:
Cardiologists are medical doctors who treat heart disease. They are
trained to diagnose heart problems and prescribe treatments that will
help patients. Some cardiologists also perform heart surgery. Their
work hours can be long and irregular and their jobs can be very
stressful.
Average Salary: $100,000 - $275,000
Educational Requirements: 10-14 years beyond high school
Students interested in becoming cardiologists should take the most
challenging high school courses (including AP or IB courses) available in science, math,
and English. After receiving a Bachelor of Science from college (4 years), they must
attend medical school.
Medical school usually includes two years of additional study in both basic and clinical
sciences and is followed by two years of rotations in different specialty areas. At the end
of these four years, medical students decide which area of medicine they would like to
practice and study that specialty for another three years. Physicians who want to
specialize in cardiology spend seven years preparing to be Cardiologists.
Activity Procedures – Dissection
Because cardiologists need to be familiar with the heart as well as problems associated
with the circulatory system, your first job is to dissect the heart and learn about its
different chambers and valves as well as how blood flows though it. You will begin your
job as a cardiologist by following the directions below and answering the concluding
questions.
A. Frontal View of Heart:
1.) Orient heart so the apex (bottom of “V”) of the heart points down and to your right.
2.) You should notice a white line of fat deposits that runs diagonally across the heart.
B. Dividing Heart into Front and Back Halves:
1.) Turn the heart so that the apex is pointing up.
2.) Using scissors, a knife, or a scalpel, start cutting at the apex and carefully cut through
the heart lengthwise.
C. Inside the Heart (front view):
1.) Position the heart with the apex pointing down.
2.) Find the following structures or regions.
a. Right and Left Atria – small chambers at the top of the heart.
b. Right and Left Ventricles – large chambers that make up most of the heart.
c. Any of the Valves – thin flaps of tissue with long stringy-white tendons
attached.
d. Blood Vessels – gently insert a probe through the blood vessel openings at
the top of the heart. You can then see which blood vessel the probe is in
based on where it delivers blood to the heart. You may not be able to find all
of the blood vessels because they may have been removed from the heart you
are dissecting. Try to find the aorta.
If it delivers blood to the:
The blood vessel is the:
Right Atrium
Superior and Inferior Vena Cava
Lungs
Pulmonary Artery
Left Atrium
Descending Aorta
Pulmonary Vein(s)
Aorta
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Dissection Conclusions:
1. Into what structure does the Left Ventricle empty?
2. Were does the blood from the Right Atria travel?
3. When blood returns from the lungs, into which heart structure does it enter?
Open Heart Surgery Background Information:
Just like all the other organs in your body, your heart
needs blood and oxygen to do its job. The surface of
your heart, is covered in arteries that deliver a
constant supply of much-needed blood and oxygen
to the heart muscle. As you have learned in previous
activities, blockages in the arteries and blood vessels
can reduce the flow of blood to the heart. Figure 1
shows the flow of blood through the arteries in a
healthy heart.
Figure 1
When one or more of the heart arteries becomes narrowed or blocked, blood and oxygen
are reduced and heart muscle is damaged. Figure 2 illustrates what a blocked artery
might look like.
Figure 2
One of the solutions to reestablish blood flow to the heart is bypass surgery. With a
bypass surgery, cardiologists take a healthy blood vessel from somewhere else in the
body like the leg or the abdomen. Cardiologists use this healthy blood vessel to create a
detour around the diseased or blocked blood vessel see Figure 3.
Figure 3
Activity Procedures - Open Heart Surgery
Now it’s time to practice being a cardiologist by performing a bypass operation on a
sheep’s heart.
1.) Find the blocked artery or arteries on the sheep heart. Your teacher will have marked
these already.
2.) Find the aorta.
3.) Take a piece of tubing or drinking straw.
4.) Cut a hole just big enough for the tube to fit into in the aorta.
5.) Decide where you want to connect the other end of the tube. Remember that you are
trying to create a detour or bypass around the blockage by delivering blood through
the tube to the areas that are not getting blood because of the blockage.
6.) Cut a hole just big enough for the tube to fit into in the blocked artery.
7.) Insert the tube into both holes. You may need to cut the tube so that it is shorter.
If this were a real surgery, the doctor would sew the ends of the tube to the aorta and
artery, and a blood vessel from another part of the body would be used instead of a tube.
Conclusions:
1.) Why would someone need to have bypass surgery?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
2.) What could you do to prevent blockages from forming inside your arteries?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 6: “The Rhythm of the Beat”
Name:______________________________________Date:___________Period:_____
Have you ever watched a television show or movie about doctors and hospitals and seen
a patient hooked up to a machine that makes a pattern like this? It’s an
electrocardiogram or EKG
An EKG records the electrical activity of the heart. Doctors use EKGs to detect and
diagnose heart problems. In this activity, you will be trained to recognize the basic
patterns of an EKG.
Health Careers:
The medical professional that assists cardiologists in conducting EKG analyses, is called
an Electrocardiograph Technician.
Electrocardiograph Technician
Duties and Responsibilities:
Electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) technicians usually
work under the supervision of cardiologists in hospitals,
doctors' offices, or clinics.. They operate
electrocardiogram equipment to monitor patients' heart
problems. Their responsibilities include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Connecting electrodes to patients.
Inserting and removing catheters.
Monitoring equipment output.
Recording test results.
Identifying emergencies or abnormalities.
Operating ultrasound equipment.
Average Salary: $15,000 - $32,000
Educational Requirements: Electrocardiograph technicians must have a high school
diploma or GED before beginning specialized training. Electrocardiograph training is
offered at vocational schools, community colleges, and in some cases through on-the-job
training. Basic training takes three to six months. Advanced training takes one to two
years.
Background Information:
Did you know that the heart generates electricity? It does, the heart has two regions
containing cells that generate regular electrical signals, the SA Node and the AV Node.
ARROWS ARE POINT
The SA node sends an electrical signal that triggers cells of the atria to contract at a
rhythmic pace. Just as a drummer in a band keeps a steady beat for the instruments to
follow, the SA node sets a tempo for the contraction of heart cells. The SA node drives
the heart rate and is therefore known as the pacemaker of the heart.
The AV node transfers the electrical signal from the atria to the ventricles.
How Do the Nodes Relate to an EKG Pattern?
First, it is important to understand that electrical currents spread into tissue surrounding
the heart and through body fluids. A small portion of this electrical activity reaches the
body surface and can be detected using recording electrodes (EKG). An EKG is a
recording of that portion of the electrical activity and not a direct recording of the actual
activity of the heart.
Normal Components of the EKG Waveform
P Wave – The P wave shows the electrical stimulation from the SA node that causes the
atria to contract.
QRS Complex – The QRS complex shows the electrical stimulation from the AV node
that causes the ventricles to contract.
T Wave – The T wave shows the return of the heart to its electrical state before the next
time the atria contract.
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QRS complex
P wave
T wave
P-R interval
Q-T interval
Complete Waveform (P-P)
There are also intervals or distances between waves in the EKG. These represent
intervals of time. The complete waveform is the time from the beginning of the P-wave
to the next P-wave.
P-R Interval – time that it takes for electrical impulse to travel through the AV node.
Q-T Interval – time that it takes for electrical impulse to cause ventricles to contract and
then return to beginning state.
Reading EKGs
(adapted from: ECG Library. (http://www.ecglibrary.com/ecghome.html) 1995-2002. Dean Jenkins and
Stephen Gerred.)
A “normal” adult EKG should have all of the following characteristics.
R
QRS complex
P wave
T wave
S
Q
1.) Normal rhythm – Each P wave is followed by a QRS
2.) Normal P waves – P-wave is shorter than QRS
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3.) Normal QRS complex – The QRS complex should look like a sharp spike, not a
curved wave.
Abnormal EKG
An abnormal Q-waves is unusually wide, leaving a noticeable gap as shown below.
5.) A normal ST segment – shows no elevation or depression as shown above. Below,
the ST segments show abnormal elevation and depression.
•
Elevation
•
Depression
Normal EKG Pattern:
This is another example of what a normal EKG looks like. You will use this as a guide to
see how the following EKGs are different and what problems they indicate. Circle the
areas of the abnormal waveforms that differ from the “normal” waveform.
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Abnormal EKG Patterns:
In the following EKG patterns, there is something very serious going on that requires
immediate medical attention.
In this EKG pattern, notice the irregular pattern of the heart. There is not a consistent
rhythm. Next, notice the many smaller waves before and after the large peak. This
indicates that the atria are contracting many more times than they should. This condition
is called atrial fibrillation which is common in stroke victims. One issue with this
condition is that because the atria do not have time to fill due to the constant contractions,
the blood flow is severely impaired. The heart may return to a normal pattern on its own,
but immediate attention is required.
This EKG pattern shows irregular ventricular contractions. Notice that the ventricular
contractions are happening too soon and do not allow for the heart to have a consistent
time to relax in between contractions. This condition is called sinus tachycardia which is
seen in heart attack victims.
This EKG strip shows a very irregular heart beat. This condition is called ventricular
fibrillation. This is a very serious condition. The heart will not come out of this
condition without help from either drugs such as Lidocaine to restore the normal rhythm
or a strong electric jolt from a machine called a defibrillator.
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Situation in the Emergency Room:
QRS complex
P wave
T wave
P-R interval
Q-T interval
Complete waveform (P-P)
Imagine that you are an emergency room doctor. You are working on a patient, who
collapsed during a family barbeque. When the patient is first brought in, the nurses hook
him up to an EKG monitor.
This is what the patient’s EKG looks like when he is first hooked to the monitor at 4:17
PM.
4:17 PM
1.) Does this appear to be a normal pattern? Compare with normal EKG above and
below and describe by drawing or describing in a complete sentence.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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Normal EKG
At 4:26 PM, the patient loses consciousness. The patient’s EKG changes and looks like
this:
4:26 PM
2.) Is this a normal EKG pattern? What is different about it?
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
3.) What do you think will happen to this patient if the heart continues to create an EKG
pattern that looks like this?
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
4.) What could you do to restore the normal EKG pattern? (Think about things you may
have seen on TV or in the movies.)
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
Health care professionals sometimes use an electrical shock to restore normal heart
rhythm. You may have seen doctors on TV yell “Clear!” and apply paddles to someone’s
chest to give them a shock. This machine is called a defibrillator. It is used to help the
heart return to a normal electrical rhythm.
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At 4:28, you use a defibrillator on your patient, and the EKG monitor shows the
following pattern:
4:28 PM
Defibrillator
applied
5.) Does the patient’s EKG appear to return to normal?
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
EKG traces adapted from: ECG Library. (http://www.ecglibrary.com/ecghome.html) 1995-2002. Dean
Jenkins and Stephen Gerred.
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Measuring Your Own EKG:
If your teacher has EKG sensors, you will now have the opportunity to take your own
EKG! Make sure everyone in your group has the opportunity to have an EKG done so
they may fill out the table below with their own data.
1.) Complete the table below for your EKG.
Interval
P-R
QRS
Q-T
Complete waveform P-P
Time (seconds)
1.) Use the time of the complete waveform to calculate your heart rate.
1 ÷ Time of Complete Waveform x 60 = heart rate
1 ÷ __________________________ x 60 = _________________ beats per minute
Time of Complete Waveform
heart rate
Optional Extension: “WebQuest”
Your teacher may request that you perform a WebQuest about EKGs and answer the
following questions.
The following websites give information on EKG strips and how they should be read.
Some of these websites also give information about conditions associated with different
EKG patterns.
http://www.ecglibrary.com
http://RnCeus.com
http://medlib.med.utah.edu
Go to the following web site and answer the following questions:
http://RnCeus.com and follow the link to EKG strip identification and evaluation.
1. What are the causes of sinus tachycardia?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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2. What is the range of beats per minute that sinus tachycardia may have?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What treatments can be given to a patient that is experiencing atrial fibrillation?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. What will happen if atrial fibrillation is left untreated?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. What is the pulse rate of a patient with ventricular fibrillation?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. What is the treatment for a person suffering from ventricular fibrillation?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. In the space provided below, draw another condition that affects the heart and
give the following information.
Your EKG Drawing:
Give pertinent information such as heart rate, causes, and treatments, anything else that
might be important.
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CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 7: “EMT Training”
Name:____________________________________Date:__________Period:_______
Warm Up:
Describe a medical emergency that you have witnessed either first hand or on television.
Who was involved?_______________________________________________________.
What caused the emergency?________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
Who helped?_____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
Based on what you have observed in real life or on television, can you describe what
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) or Paramedics do to help an injured person?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
Introduction:
Many of the activities of this unit have emphasized the
risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD),
how CVD can be evaluated and treated, and related health
careers. Often, these health conditions lead to emergency
medical situations. In an emergency it is important to
assess the person’s condition as accurately as possible,
give the patient the proper immediate care, and sometimes
transport the patient to a hospital for further treatment.
Source: www.hutchcc.edu
In this activity you will have the opportunity explore the world of emergency medical
care and be trained in some of the same procedures that EMTs use.
Health Career
EMTs are medical professionals who respond to accidents or other emergency medical
situations.
Emergency Medical Technician
Duties and Responsibilities:
EMTs usually work in teams of two in specially designed ambulances. They provide
immediate life or limb saving medical treatment at the scenes of accidents and injuries as
well as transport casualties to hospital emergency rooms for further care. The job is both
physically demanding and stressful. Emergency medical technicians often respond to:
*
*
*
*
*
*
Automobile accidents
Heart attacks
Gunshot wounds
Unscheduled childbirth
Drownings or near drownings
Other serious medical emergencies
Average Salary: $25,000 - $37,500
Educational Requirements:
Students must have a high school diploma (in some areas GED certificates may be
substituted) to become an emergency medical technician. Driver's education, health, and
science courses are strongly recommended and may be required before enrolling in some
training programs.
Basic emergency medical technician training includes about 100-120 hours spent in the
classroom and 10 hours in a hospital emergency room. Emergency medical technicians
are required to pass state licensing or certification tests and participate in continuing
education programs. Many emergency medical technicians earn associate degrees in
their field.
Paramedic
A Paramedic needs to go through all of the training described above and an additional
1000 hours of classroom time and an additional 500 hours of internship time. The
average salary of a Paramedic ranges from $32,000 - $42,500.
Background Information:
As you can see in the above EMT job description, an EMT must acquire the skills to
handle a variety of emergency situations. The job of the EMT is similar to a detective.
Even if a patient is conscious it can sometimes be difficult to determine the exact cause of
a medical problem. In EMT training, students have to evaluate “pretend” patients that act
out real life emergency situations. This activity will show you the kinds of things EMT’s
learn in their training. You will use this knowledge in the next activity.
EMT Training - Step I – ABCs + D:
Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABCs + D) and anything that may be creating
a Disability (i.e., excessive bleeding, body part crushed by an object, etc.) are
the most basic part of first aid in an emergency situation.
A- Airway
The first thing that an EMT checks on a patient is their airway. If a person’s airway is
blocked, then the person will not receive the oxygen necessary for body functions.
What is one reason a person’s airway may be blocked?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
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B- Breathing
If the person is not breathing on their own, the EMT must administer what are called
rescue breaths. What happens to the body if a person stops breathing?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
C- Circulation
The EMT checks a person’s pulse (the heart beat) to determine whether blood is
circulating through the body. Why is breathing checked before pulse?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
D - Disability
The EMT checks for other signs and symptoms that may cause additional disability.
What kinds of things do you think could be included in this part of the initial patient
assessment?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
When someone has a medical emergency, EMT’s assess the ABC’s + D by performing
the following checklist:
• Is the patient conscious or unconscious?
• Is the patient breathing?
• If the patient is not breathing or has difficulty breathing, they may have an
obstructed airway.
• If the patient is not breathing, but has a pulse, oxygen must be given to the patient
– by either rescue breathing or by giving the patient oxygen.
• Check for a pulse. If the patient is not breathing and does not have a pulse, then
start CPR – Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or defibrillate patient.
• After you check the ABCs what else could be a disability (D) for the patient
(Examples: Are they bleeding? Could there be other major injuries?)?
Step II- Vital Signs:
After the ABC’s + D are taken care of, EMT’s check the patient’s vital signs. Vital signs
are taken and recorded several times over the course of a patient’s treatment. The pattern
in the vital signs can show the patient’s response to treatment.
You will work in teams to practice taking the vital signs listed below.
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1. Respiration Rate (number of breaths per minute) (RR): The procedure that EMTs
use to measure respiration rate includes both listening for a breath and counting the
full inhales and full exhales by watching the person’s chest rise and fall. Because it is
difficult for someone who is not trained to do this well, you will use the procedures
for measuring a person’s respiration rate are described below. Fill in your respiration
rate and your teammate’s respiration rate in the spaces below.
a. As you inhale fully, then exhale fully, lift your finger as a signal that this is
one full breath. Your teammate will count the number of time you lift your
finger in 15 seconds.
b. Multiply the number of breaths you counted in 15 seconds times 4 to get
breaths per minute (Example: 4 breaths x 4 = 16 breaths/minute or 16 breaths
per minute).
2. Your Respiration Rate:
Number of breaths in 15 seconds: __________ x 4 = _________ breaths per minute.
Teammate 1’s respiration rate: _______________ breaths per minute.
Teammate 2’s respiration rate: _______________ breaths per minute.
Look at “Table 1 – Vital Signs” on the overhead projector, are all of your
teammates in a normal range for respiration rate?_________________
3. Pulse/ Heart Rate (number of heart beats per minute) (HR): The procedures for
measuring a person’s heart rate are described below. Fill in your heart rate and your
teammate’s heart rate in the spaces below.
a. Count the number of beats in 15 seconds by placing your index and middle
finger on the thumb side of the persons wrist (move your fingers around until
you feel a pulse).
b. Multiply the number of heart beats you counted x 4 to get beats per minute
(15 beats x 4 = 60 beats/minute or 60 beats per minute)
Your Heart Rate:
Number of breathes in 15 seconds: __________ x 4 = _________ beats per minute.
Teammate 1’s Heart rate: _______________ beats per minute.
Teammate 2’s Heart rate: _______________ beats per minute.
Look at the “Vital Signs” table on the overhead projector, are all of your
teammates in a normal range for heart rate?_____________.
4. Pulse Quality: A pulse can have different characteristics; it may be regular (steady
beat) or irregular (not rhythmic). A pulse could be regular but with poor quality.
Examples of words used to describe pulse are “bounding,” “weak,” “thready,”
“Strong.”
Describe your teammates pulse
Teammate 1’s pulse: _________________________________________________
Teammate 2’s pulse: _________________________________________________
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If your patient had a steady heart rate of 76 but you can barely feel it, how would you
describe their pulse? ___________________________________________.
5. Blood Pressure (BP): BP is the force created by the heart as it pushes blood into the
arteries of the circulatory system. It is measured in units of mm Hg (millimeters of
mercury).
It is usually written as a ratio of two numbers, such as 120/75 mm Hg, which represent
systolic and diastolic pressure.
Systolic
Blood
Pressure
120
75 mm Hg
Diastolic
Blood
Pressure
Systolic blood pressure describes the surge of pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps
blood out of the left ventricle. It is the upper number in the measurement of a person's
blood pressure. For example, in the measurement 120/75, 120 is the systolic blood
pressure.
Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes between
contractions. It is the lower number in the measurement of a person's blood pressure. For
example, in the measurement 120/75, 75 is the diastolic blood pressure.
BP Procedures (if you have blood pressure monitors):
Use the blood pressure monitor to take your blood pressures and those of your
teammates.
Your BP__________/________________
Team Member 1 __________/______________
Team member 2 _____________/___________
Do your teammates have a BP in the normal range? ____________________________
6. Skin Color, Temperature, and Moisture (SCTM): In a healthy person, skin color
is described as pink even in people of color. It refers to the fingernails, insides of the
mouth, and eyelids that are the first to turn pale when there is a problem. These parts
of the body are generally moist and have a temperature close to body temperature.
EMTs report their observations of skin color and feel the skin to report it using the
following words:
1) NORMAL: Warm, Pink, and Dry (WPD).
2) HEAT STROKE, FEVER or ALLERGIC: Hot, flushed, dry/or sweaty.
3) “SHOCKY”: Pale, cool, sweaty (PCS)
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Resources of the National Institutes of Health
5
What do you think the skin appearance would be for a patient who’s has a heart attack?
________________________________________________________________________
Step III: SAMPLE History:
Treating a patient requires gathering important information regarding the history of the
patient and the incident that occurred. If the patient is unable to give this information,
bystanders can often provide important information. The acronym “SAMPLE” refers to
the information that an EMT needs to collect about the patient and the event. Each letter
in the acronym represents a piece of information that an EMT has to collect: the “S”
stands for symptoms, the “A” stands for allergies, the “M” stands for medications, the
“P” stands for pertinent history (medical, family, medical tags, etc.), the “L” stands for
last foods and fluids, and the “E” stands for events – what happened to cause the
emergency. The exercise below will take you through the “SAMPLE” process.
S: Letter S stands for signs and symptoms of the episode. Ask what signs and symptoms
occurred at the onset of the incident and whether the patient reports any pain. To answer
the next questions refer to the overhead “Common Medical Conditions”
1. List some symptoms of a person who is having a stroke.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. List some symptoms in a person that is in diabetic shock?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. List some symptoms of a person who is having a heart attack?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
A: Letter A stands for Allergies. Ask if the patient is allergic to medications, food, etc…
If the patient reports having had allergic reactions before, ask the patient about the
reaction(s) and list any important substances.
Why would it be important to know if someone is allergic to a certain medication?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research
Resources of the National Institutes of Health
6
Ask your teammates if they have any allergies. What happens to them if they have a
reaction?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
M: Letter M stands for medications. Ask the patient: What medications have they been
prescribed? What amount was prescribed? What medications has the patient taken
within the last 12 hours? How much was taken and when?
If a person is complaining of chest pain and you find a bottle of high blood pressure
medications in their pocket, what would you first thoughts be about the person’s
condition?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
P: Letter P stands for pertinent history. This includes questions such as: Does the patient
have any history of medical, surgical or trauma occurrences? Has the patient experienced
any recent falls, accidents or blows to the head?
Why would a patient’s history be relevant to their current medical problem?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
L: Letter L stands for last food or fluids. Ask the patient: When and what was the
patient’s last meal or drink? Did the patient take any drugs or alcohol?
Why would knowing the patient’s last food or fluids be important?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
E: Letter E stands for events leading up to the injury or illness. Ask the patient what key
events led up to the incident? What occurred between the onset of the accident and your
arrival? What was the patient doing when the incident occurred?
Why would knowing about the events leading up to the injury or illness be important?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research
Resources of the National Institutes of Health
7
CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 8: “EMT for a Day”
Name:______________________________________Date:___________Period:______
Introduction:
In this activity, you, and your group will take turns
taking on the role of an Emergency Medical
Technician (EMT) and the role of a patient. Roleplaying the assessment of medical situations is an
important part of EMT training. EMTs are graded on
how they respond to emergency medical scenarios that
are acted out by fellow students acting as patients. If
an EMT trainee practices the step-by-step process and
performs the patient assessment relatively quickly and accurately, it helps them acquire
the skills that it takes to react in a real life medical situation. An accurate assessment and
time are critical in most emergency situations because it can mean the life or death of a
patient!
Instructions for How to Play the Role of an EMT:
To role-play the EMT, you must go through the steps of the patient assessment, just like
an EMT. In each patient scenario, the patient will be experiencing a medical emergency.
That is why you have been called to the scene. Your job is to assess the patient’s vital
signs, symptoms, and medical history quickly AND thoroughly. The questions on the
“EMT Patient Assessment Worksheet” will lead though the step-by-step process of
handling each emergency situation with each patient. As you go through the steps and
ask questions of the patient, you will gain clues to the patient’s exact condition. As you
go through the checklist, the patient will have to verbalize (explain) some of their signs
and symptoms to you. However, you will first have to check that vital sign, symptom,
etc. Remember, if you do not help the patient quickly, he or she may die! Act
professional, have fun, and be creative in your acting out the role of the EMT!
The EKGs for each patient are provided on the last page of your assessment form. Your
final “Patient Assessment” will include using the knowledge you have gained over this
entire unit to suggest a treatment for the patient.
Instructions for How to Play the Role of a Patient:
For the role-playing of the patient, it takes creative acting to demonstrate the signs and
symptoms without giving away too much information. Your job is to be the patient to the
best of your ability by acting out the signs and symptoms. As the EMTs go through the
steps and procedures to determine your medical condition, give them the information
ONLY if they ask a specific question or begin to act out taking a vital sign measurement.
In other words, it is important that you allow the EMTs to act out their role first. As they
go through each step, you may give them the clues about your condition. For example,
your blood pressure is likely to be normal. As the EMTs begin to check your blood
pressure, you may then verbally communicate the “patient’s” blood pressure.
Carefully, read the vital signs, symptoms of your medical situation, and the story of the
events that happened, so that you can perform well - acting just like a patient who is
experiencing the problem. The general patient information and vital signs are found in
the first table, the “SAMPLE” that includes the symptoms and history of your medical
situation (the story of the events that happened) and medical history, are found in the
second table. The EMTs will ask you questions in the order of the SAMPLE table.
At the beginning of the patient assessment, the EMTs will be checking your airway,
breathing, circulation, and disabilities (ABCs + D). Please note that ALL PATIENTS
WILL HAVE AN AIRWAY. The EMTs will conclude that you have an airway after
they go through the motions of checking. Except for the patient at Station 6, each patient
will have a pulse, but the rate will depend on the medical situation, so you will have to
tell the EMTs what your pulse (heart rate) is, as they check it.
Additionally, if it is your turn to play the patient and you have a “conscious” patient, act
conscious. If you are assigned to acting as an “unconscious” patient, act unconscious, but
give the verbal clues to the EMTs as they go through their checklist. Again, it is
important that they role-play each step to gain the clues on their own.
Finally, the EMTs will attempt to come up with a “treatment”. Read your treatment and
give the EMTs feedback about whether they were correct in their suggestions for your
treatment. Have fun with your acting skills!
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research
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2
CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 8: “EMT for a Day”—Patient Assessment WkSt.
Name:____________________________________Date:___________Period:_____
Station # _____:
ABCs + D – Airway, Breathing, Circulation and Disability - Initial
Patient Assessment:
NOTE: All patients will have a clear airway, so you do not have to go
through that process for this activity. However, it is possible that they
may not be breathing.
1. Is the patient conscious or unconscious? (circle one)
2. Is the patient breathing? Yes or No (circle one)
3. Check for a pulse. If the patient is not breathing and does not have a pulse, then start CPR
– Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or defibrillate patient.
Check the patient’s EKG,(by looking at the patient’s EKG on the last page) as if you have a
machine that will measure EKG.
Does it appear that the patient is having a heart attack?
Yes or No (circle one)
4. Is the patient having difficulty breathing? Yes or No (circle one)
5. If patient is having difficulty breathing, what are the symptoms?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6. After you check the ABCs, what else could be a disability (D) for the patient (Examples: Are
they bleeding? Are they pinned under a rock? Have they fallen off of something? Etc.)?
____________________________________________________________________
Physical Exam, Vital Signs, and Patient History
At this stage, if the patient has both a pulse and is breathing, continue to check the following
physical exam, vital signs, and patient history. If the patient is conscious, one EMT can ask the
patient about their symptoms while the other EMTs check the patient’s vital signs (i.e., respiration
rate, blood pressure, skin, etc.).
Physical Exam – Describe the patient’s general conditions below. Is their current medical condition
from trauma or some other medical problem? What is their chief complaint and symptoms? This
includes head to toe inspection and general observations.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Vital Signs
1. What is the patient’s respiration/breathing rate?
Respiration/Breathing Rate = __________________________breaths per minute
2. What is the patient’s heart rate?
Heart/Pulse Rate = _____________________________ beats per minute (bpm)
3. What is the patient’s blood pressure? __________/_________ mm Hg
If you do not have a blood pressure monitor or gauge, the patient will give you his/her blood
pressure. Now, circle the area in which this blood pressure may be found: ankle, wrist, or neck?
4. LOOK at the patient’s skin. Does it look normal? Is the patient “pale” or “flushed”?
FEEL the patient’s skin. Does it feel “warm,” “hot” or “cool”? Is it “dry” or “moist”?
For this activity, you will have to ask the patient this question.
The patient’s skin is ____________________________________________________
History – S.A.M.P.L.E.
S = Symptoms:
1. Where is the pain/problem?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. How did the pain or problem start – Did anything seem to cause the pain?
Were there any other symptoms occurring at the same time?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being extremely painful, how would you rate the pain?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (circle one)
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2
4. When did the pain/problem start (time)?__________________
Has the pain been continuous since it started?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Are there feelings of numbness or pain in more than one place on the body?
If so, have patient describe and record response.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
A = Allergies:
6. Are you allergic to anything (medication, foods, or environmental conditions)?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
M = Medications:
7. Are you taking any medications (prescription or non-prescription)?
Yes No
If yes, what condition are you taking it for?____________________________________
Do you use tobacco or alcohol? If yes, how often? ______________________________
P = Pertinent Medical History:
8. Ask or check for medical bracelet or necklace and record information.
_______________________________________________________________________
9. Have you or your family had similar symptoms in the past? If so, describe.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Is there any other medical history that may be relevant?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
L = Last Food/Fluids - Last Ins and Outs:
11. What did you last eat and drink? ___________________________________________
When was that? _________________________________________________________
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources of the
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3
12. Are you urinating normally and having regular bowel movements? If not, what has
changed?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
E = Events:
13. Can you describe what happened?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources of the
National Institutes of Health
4
Patient Assessment
Use the knowledge you have gained over this entire unit to consider what this patient might want to
consider doing to prevent a similar medical emergency in the future. Read the questions below,
consider what you determined in your patient assessment, what it might take to help the patient
have a healthier lifestyle, and write your responses in complete sentences.
1. Based on the physical exam, vital signs, symptoms, and other patient history, what do you
think is this patient’s current medical condition?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
2. What did you do to help the patient feel better?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
3.
What does the patient need to do to continue feeling better?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
4. What did you recommend that the patient do to prevent this from happening in the future?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources of the
National Institutes of Health
5
Station Lab 1: Patient EKG - Juana Perez
Station Lab 2: Patient EKG – Roxanne Greer
Station Lab 3: Patient EKG - Roy Frazier
Station Lab 4: Patient EKG – Gilberto Gutierrez
Station Lab 5: Patient EKG - Angelica Montoya
Station Lab 6: Patient EKG – Garret Stokes
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources of the
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6
CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 8: “EMT for a Day” - Patient Scenarios
Station Lab 1: Patient = Type I Diabetic
You are a patient with Type I diabetes. Your EKG is normal, but your heart rate is fast
(showing a quicker rhythm of an EKG pattern).
General Patient Information
Vital Signs
Name: Juana Perez
Respiration Rate: 12 breaths per minute
Age: 53
Pulse/Heart Rate: 110 beats per minute
Gender: Female
Pulse Quality: Regular and “thready”
Height: 5’3”
Blood Pressure: 96/60 mmHg
Weight: 175 lbs.
Skin: pale, moist, and cool despite hot day
Symptoms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Allergies
Medications
+ Smoking/
Alcohol Use
Pertinent
Medical
History
Last Food
/Fluids -Last
Ins and Outs
Events
6.
7.
Patient SAMPLE Information
You are almost completely unconscious. You can be roused by
shaking, but quickly fall back out of consciousness.
Lack of proper food intake and overexertion triggered symptoms.
Scale of severity of symptoms: 10
About 20 minutes before the EMTs arrived. Your neighbor called
the EMTs.
Just before you started to lose consciousness, you realized that
you were feeling lightheaded, hungry, and fatigued. You knew
you needed to go inside and get something to eat, and then your
vision started to go blurry.
None
Prescription: Insulin therapy
Non-smoker & non-drinker – due to diabetes.
8. You are wearing a necklace that states you are a Type I diabetic.
9. Type I diabetes by age 13 sister is a diabetic – age 55, father has
heart disease – age 77, and mother is a diabetic – age 75
10. High total cholesterol and LDL levels and high normal blood
pressure.
11. Last ate at breakfast that was 6 hours ago; went in once to relieve
yourself about 2 hours prior to the loss of consciousness.
12. Normal urination and bowel movement.
13. You just spent several hours cleaning out the garage on a hot day.
You haven’t eaten since breakfast (about 6 hours ago) because
you wanted to get a lot accomplished and it also seemed too hot
to eat – you just didn’t feel hungry. Your neighbor was over
visiting when you started to feel the symptoms.
Treatment
You need sugar. At the station, there is a prop or an actual jar of honey. When the EMTs
figure out that you’re a diabetic, they can role-play giving you honey. They must make
sure you are alert enough to swallow and not choke. When they try and rouse you,
become conscious enough to sit up and swallow the honey. As soon as the EMTs give
you the honey, you will start to become more alert. The EMTs should direct you taking
care of yourself and getting additional medical attention.
Station Lab 2: Patient = Stroke Victim
You are a patient who is experiencing a stroke. Your EKG shows atrial fibrillation.
General Patient Information
Vital Signs
Name: Roxanne Greer
Respiration Rate: 26 breaths per minute
Age: 39
Pulse/Heart Rate: 130 beats per minute
Gender: Female
Pulse Quality: irregular
Height: 5’6”
Blood Pressure: 145/95 mmHg
Weight: 175 lbs.
Skin: pink and moist
Symptoms
Allergies
Medications
+ Smoking/
Alcohol Use
Pertinent
Medical
History
Last Food
/Fluids -Last
Ins and Outs
Events
Patient SAMPLE Information
1. Sudden weakness, moodiness, slurred speech, a sudden severe
headache, and trouble focusing with both eyes.
2. Sudden – nothing specific happened that started symptoms. If
asked if you’ve been drinking, you have not been drinking.
3. Headache is a 10.
4. Over 1/2 hour ago.
5. Yes, the numbness is on the right side of your body: face, arm,
and leg. It adds to the feeling of overall weakness.
6. Don’t know
7. Prescription: blood pressure medication (Lisinopril), birth control
pills
Smokes about 1/2 pack per day, consumes about 20-30
alcoholic drinks per week
8. No medical tag.
9. You’ve had no such symptoms in the past; your father is an
alcoholic – age 65 and mother has high blood pressure – age 63
10. High total and LDL cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
11. Ate at a brewpub 2 hours earlier. No alcohol was consumed.
12. Normal urination and bowel movement.
13. You returned to the office after a lunch break. You spent the last
few hours preparing for a meeting. Just before the meeting, you
started to feel weak and began to develop a severe headache. You
shrugged it off to stress. When the meeting began, co-workers
detected the slurred speech and noticed your difficulty in focusing
on written materials. Due to previous alcohol problems, coworkers were concerned about the possibility that you may have
consumed alcohol during lunch, but you did not have alcohol.
Your co-workers called 9-1-1 and the EMTs arrive within 15
minutes.
Treatment
A stroke is a "brain attack" which is a medical emergency. Your EKG shows atrial
fibrillation – characteristic heart rhythm that has a high risk of causing stroke. The EMTs
will give you oxygen and will continue to monitor your EKG as you are transported to
the hospital. Lifestyle modifications may include quitting smoking, stop drinking
alcohol, decrease fat in diet, reduce caffeine intake, stop eating chocolate, continued
treatment for high blood pressure (medication), and other risk management decisions
associated with heart disease.
Station Lab 3: Patient = Smoker
You are a heavy smoker who is experiencing serious coughing, wheezing, and shortness
of breath. Your EKG is normal.
General Patient Information
Vital Signs
Name: Roy Frazier
Respiration Rate: 30 + breaths per minute
Age: 47
Pulse/Heart Rate: 94 beats per minute
Gender: Male
Pulse Quality: strong and regular
Height: 5’11”
Blood Pressure: 130/88 mmHg
Weight: 175 lbs.
Skin: flushed, warm, and moist
Symptoms
Allergies
Medications
+ Smoking/
Alcohol Use
Pertinent
Medical
History
Last Food
/Fluids -Last
Ins and Outs
Events
Patient SAMPLE Information
1. Chest tightness (like there’s a band around your chest), feels like
you’re being smothered, you just can’t get enough air to catch
your breath
2. You are a policeman and you’ve just chased a suspect for 6
blocks. You feel dizzy and nauseated as well.
3. 8 – lungs don’t feel like they can take in a full breath
4. Began approximately 45 minutes ago, has occurred several times
before over the past 5 months but has gone away each time after
about 30 minutes.
5. No.
6. None.
7. Prescription: none;
Smoker (1-2 packs per day), consumes about 7-8 alcoholic drinks
per week
8. No medical tag.
9. History of bronchitis; father died of a heart attack – age 62;
mother arthritis – age 70; sister has high blood pressure – age 42.
10. Normal - FILL IN!!
11. Ate lunch 5 hours earlier.
12. All ins and outs seemed normal.
13. Episode occurred after chasing a suspect 6 blocks on foot.
Treatment
You do not know you have emphysema – a lung disease. EMTs give you oxygen until
you feel better and they recommend that you see a doctor at once. They suspect
emphysema, but a physical examination and tests will be needed. It is likely that it will
be necessary for you to quit smoking.
Station Lab 4: Patient = Heart Attack Victim Who Has Fallen Off a Mountain Bike
You’re experiencing a heart attack that caused you to fall off of your mountain bike.
Your EKG is abnormal showing sinus tachycardia with frequent premature ventricular
contractions--changes consistent with a heart attack.
General Patient Information
Vital Signs
Name: Gilberto Gutierrez
Respiration Rate: 30 breaths per minute
Age: 47
Pulse/Heart Rate: 100 beats per minute
Gender: Male
Pulse Quality: Irregular
Height: 5’9”
Blood Pressure: 94/58 mmHg
Weight: 175 lbs.
Skin Appearance: clammy, cool, and pale
Symptoms
Allergies
Medications
+ Smoking/
Alcohol Use
Pertinent
Medical
History
Last Food
/Fluids -Last
Ins and Outs
Events
Patient SAMPLE Information
1. You feel short of breath. You also feel a burning pain in your
chest that seems to go away and come back. The pain seemed to
spread toward your left side, causing your neck, shoulder, and
arm to feel numb.
2. The initial symptoms felt like you had bad indigestion. Then, you
started to feel nauseated and lightheaded just before your left side
started to feel numb; causing you to lose control of your bike.
3. Pain = 9
4. Chest symptoms started about 1/2 hour before falling.
5. Left side feels numb – neck, shoulder, and arm.
6. Not that you are aware of.
7. Prescription: none; non-smoker; consumes about 3 alcoholic
drinks per week
8. No medical tag.
9. No.
10. High-normal blood pressure; borderline high total cholesterol and
LDL levels
11. Ate breakfast about 3 hours prior to accident.
12. Normal outs.
13. The heartburn-like pain in your chest made it difficult to breath
while mountain biking. The other symptoms (listed above) made
it difficult to negotiate a technical part of the trail you were
riding, causing you to fall, but you don’t feel injured other than a
few scratches.
Treatment
The EMTs have evaluated your symptoms and realized that you are experiencing a heart
attack. Your EKG shows sinus tachycardia with ST elevation and frequent premature
ventricular contractions (PVCs). The EMTs will continue to monitor your EKG as they
take you to the hospital and will give you aspirin to prevent blood clotting. You only
have minor scrapes from the mountain bike fall.
Station Lab 5: Patient = Heartburn Victim
Your primary symptom is chest pain. Your EKG is normal.
General Patient Information
Name: Angelica Montoya
Age: 68
Gender: Female
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 130 lbs.
Symptoms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Allergies
Medications
+ Smoking/
Alcohol Use
Pertinent
Medical
History
Last Food
/Fluids -Last
Ins and Outs
Events
6.
7.
Vital Signs
Respiration Rate: 20 breaths per minute
Pulse/Heart Rate: 75 beats per minute
Pulse Quality: strong and regular
Blood Pressure: 145/92 mmHg
Skin: warm, pink, dry
Patient SAMPLE Information
You are experiencing a sharp, burning sensation just below the
breastbone area (ribs) of your chest.
No, it just began to feel painful a little while after you ate.
6
Began approximately 2 hours ago, has never had these symptoms
before
You feel a little nauseated as well, but the pain in concentrated in
your chest area. It also feels worse when you lie down, and better
after you belch.
None.
Prescription: none; non-smoker; consumes about 5-6 alcoholic
drinks per week.
8. No medical tag.
9. Sometimes you’ve felt uncomfortable after eating, but not this
severe. Father died age 82 – stroke; Mother died age 58 – breast
cancer; and brother, age 64 – coronary bypass surgery.
10. High blood pressure and High total cholesterol and LDL levels
11. A few hours ago you ate at a baseball game.
12. Urination and bowel movement is okay – not offering relief.
13. You were at a baseball game where you ate a foot-long hot dog
with chili and onions plus fries and a large soda. Soon afterward,
you started feeling the pain in your chest and nauseated and it’s
persisted for a few hours.
Treatment
The EMTs determine that you have heartburn and give you antacids. You get immediate
relief, but you still have high cholesterol and high blood pressure that are risk factors for
heart disease. You may need to modify your lifestyle to prevent heartburn and also future
potential of heart disease. The heartburn is not related to the heart, but a healthier diet
and lifestyle will help both.
Station Lab 6: Patient = Heart Attack Victim
Your EKG is abnormal showing ventricular fibrillation.
General Patient Information
Vital Signs
Name: Garret Stokes
Respiration Rate: none
Age: 81
Pulse/Heart Rate: none
Gender: Male
Pulse Quality: none
Height: 5’9”
Blood Pressure: undetectable
Weight: 165 lbs.
Skin: cold, clammy, and pale
Symptoms
Allergies
Medications
+ Smoking/
Alcohol Use
Pertinent
Medical
History
Last Food
/Fluids -Last
Ins and Outs
Events
Patient SAMPLE Information
1. Collapsed and unconscious - severe chest pain was the primary
symptom before you lost consciousness.
2. The pain started while you were skiing in Colorado. You were
feeling a little nauseated and a little short of breath (about 30
breaths per minute), but you thought it was high altitude
symptoms.
3. 10 – intense stabbing pain.
4. You felt the above symptoms about an hour ago and now you’ve
collapsed on a ski slope.
5. The pain feel like it was spreading to your left arm and neck,
before you lost consciousness.
6. Allergic to aspirin.
7. Prescription: none. Non-smoker and non-drinker.
8. No medical tag.
9. No prior symptoms. Mother died age 91 – heart failure; Father
died age 82 – heart attack
10. Normal blood pressure; normal cholesterol levels
11. Ate lunch in a cafeteria of a ski lodge.
12. Normal outs.
13. You were a little uncomfortable after lunch and started to feel the
above symptoms that you thought were from high altitude. You
are now unconscious and need CPR!
Treatment
A heart attack is a medical emergency! You have lost consciousness and require CPR
because you have no pulse! The EMTs have a defibrillator and will need to use it, along
with oxygen and CPR to keep you alive as they transport you to the hospital immediately.
If you do regain consciousness, you cannot have aspirin because you are allergic to it, so
other heart attack medications will have to be used.
CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Activity 9: “Community Connection”
Name:_____________________________________Date:____________Period:_____
Introduction
In this final activity you will have the opportunity to bring together everything you have
learned in this unit about Cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this activity you will do one
of two different community centered assignments. You can create a poster to educate
and persuade people to control their risk factors for CVD or you can interview a family member or
neighbor who has cardiovascular disease or has had a heart attack or stroke. Read the CVD
information below, review the different assignments, and select which option you would prefer to do.
CVD
The heart is one of our most important organs. It pumps blood throughout our entire body. Without
our heart, our bodies would not receive the oxygen and other things that they need to survive. Because
the heart is necessary to our survival, when something goes wrong with it the results can be very
serious and sometimes deadly.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Cardiovascular disease
results in the buildup of plaque in our blood vessels and ultimately leads to heart attacks and strokes.
A heart attack occurs when a blood vessel that delivers blood to the heart muscle gets blocked and the
heart is damaged. A stroke is when a blood vessel bursts or gets blocked in the brain causing damage
to the brain. Strokes are sometimes called “brain attacks.” 1.5 million heart attacks occur each year in
the United States, resulting in 500,000 deaths. This number is equal to the entire population of the city
of Denver! Additionally, there are 700,000 strokes that occur in this country every year. The cost of
medical care for people with cardiovascular disease is estimated at over 60 billion dollars annually.
Poster
Throughout this unit, you have learned about cardiovascular disease and its causes. You learned about
risk factors that are associated with a higher chance of getting cardiovascular disease. Many of these
risk factors can be controlled either by making changes in diet, exercise, or smoking habits or by
taking medication to control high blood pressure or high cholesterol. In addition to minimizing your
own risk factors, you can work to educate other people about controlling risk factors for cardiovascular
disease.
Assignment:
With your group (3-4 students), make a plan for how to help people in your community decrease their
risk of heart disease.
To help you in planning, here are some things to think about:
1.) What are the risk factors for heart disease?
2.) Which risk factor do you think is most common in your community?
3.) What are some things people could do to reduce or eliminate these risk factors?
4.) Why do you think it might be hard for someone to decrease his or her risk factors?
5.) What do you think you could do to help people in your community decrease their risk factors?
Are Facts or Opinions More Persuasive?
Have a discussion with your class or your group to decide whether facts or opinions would persuade
other people to do something like change their lifestyle to help control the risk of developing CVD.
Facts:
First, consider the following facts:
According to survey results in 2001, adults in Colorado reported the following risk factors for heart
disease and stroke:
• 21.6% had high blood pressure
• 29.3% had high blood cholesterol
• 4.6% had diabetes
• 22.3% were current smokers
• 53.2% were overweight or obese (Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 25.0)
Opinions:
Now, consider the following opinions:
• Smoking is bad
• Exercising every day makes your life better
For ALL Posters, Remember To:
• Use neat, easy to see lettering
• Use lots of color
• Make your poster attractive and eye-catching
Include the Following Things in Your Poster:
• Eye-catching title in large, easy to read letters that expresses your main message (example:
“Cardiovascular disease strikes again!”)
• Facts and /or statistics about CVD
• Facts and /or statistics about risk factors for CVD
• Explain the different ways people can control the risk of developing CVD
• Give information about how people can find out more about CVD
• Include some interesting drawings and/or photos
Sample Poster
Layout:
Title
Facts and /or
statistics about
CVD
Picture
Picture
Facts and /or
statistics about
risk factors for
CVD
Ways to control
risks of CVD
2
Find out more about CVD…
Cardio Website Resources
American Heart Association
www.americanheart.org
World Heart Federation
http://www.worldheart.org/mission-myths-facts.php
Interview
Since so many people in the United States have cardiovascular disease, there is a good chance that you
know someone who has it. Can you think of anyone in your family or in your community who has
CVD or has had a heart attack or stroke? If so, ask for their permission to interview them about their
health. Some interview questions are provided for you. You should feel free to create your own
questions as well. Write down the answers on a blank piece of paper and bring it to class.
Interview Questions
1.) What type of cardiovascular disease have you had (stroke, heart attack, blockage of blood vessels,
chest pain, etc.)?
2.) What were your symptoms?
3.) What kind of treatment did you have (surgery, medication, etc.)?
4.) Did your doctor suggest that you make any changes in your habits such as your diet or physical
activity? If so, please explain.
5.) How has cardiovascular disease affected your life?
Add your own questions and bring your completed interview to class. Your teacher will lead a class
discussion about your results.
3
CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Student Glossary
Airway - \AYR • way\ The airway begins at the mouth or nose, and accesses the trachea
via the pharynx.
Anxiety - \ang • ZY • et • ee\ Refers to a complex combination of negative emotions that
includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations
such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath.
Aorta - \aye • OR • tah\ The large blood vessel connected to the left ventricle of the
heart. This artery supplies oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
Aortic valve – \ay• OR• tik valv\ The “one way door” that controls the flow of blood
between the left ventricle and the aorta.
Apex - \APE • echs\ The pointed bottom part of the heart that is away from all the blood
vessels entering the upper portion of the heart.
Artery - \ ART • err • eee\ The muscular vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
Atherosclerosis - \ath • err • row • scla • ROW • sis\ The hardening of the arteries
accompanied by the deposition of fat on the inner walls.
Atrial Fibrillation - \ATE • real fib • rill • AYE • shun\ An abnormal heart rhythm
which involves the two small, upper heart chambers. Impulses of the sinoatrial node are
replaced by disorganized, rapid electrical impulses which result in irregular heart beats.
AV node – \ay • vee nohd\ A cluster of cells that generates regular electrical charges and
transfers an electrical signal from the atria to the ventricles.
Blockage - \BLOK • ayge\ An obstruction preventing flow of materials through the
designated pathway.
Blood Clots - \blud clot\ Non-flowing blood that is coagulated.
Blood Pressure - \blud PRES • shure\ Pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the
blood vessels.
Bypass Surgery - \BY • pass SURGE • er • ee\ An operation of the heart that bypasses
blockage in an artery by rerouting blood through a newly inserted vessel.
Cardiologist - \card • ee • OL • oh • gist\ A medical professional that is trained to
diagnose and treat heart problems.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) - \card • eo • PULL • mon • airy re • sus • it •
TAY • shun\ An emergency procedure, often employed after cardiac arrest, in which
cardiac massage, artificial respiration, and drugs are used to maintain the circulation of
oxygenated blood to the brain.
Cardiovascular Disease - \CARD • eeo • vas •cue • lar DIZ • eaz\ Refers to the class
of diseases that involve the heart and/or blood vessels (arteries and veins). While the term
technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system, it is usually used
to refer to those related to atherosclerosis (arterial disease).
Cholesterol - \coe • LES • ter • al\ A chemical found in all fats and oils; also produced
by the body.
Compound eye - \COM • pound eye\ A visual organ found in certain arthropods such as
insects and crustaceans which tiny sensors distinguish between brightness and darkness,
and sometimes can detect color.
Control Group - \con • TROLL groop\ In an experiment, the group that does not
receive any treatment or change.
Crustacean - \krus • TAY • shun\ Any of various predominantly aquatic arthropods of
the class Crustacea, including lobsters, crabs, shrimps, and barnacles, characteristically
having a segmented body, a chitinous exoskeleton, and paired, jointed limbs.
Daphnia - \DAFF • nee • ahhh\ Any of various water fleas of the genus Daphnia, some
species of which are commonly used as food for aquarium fish.
Defibrillate - \dee • FIB • rill • ate\ Medical technique used to counter the onset of
ventricular fibrillation.
Defibrillator – \dee • FIB • rih • lay • ter\ A device used to restore a regular rhythm to
someone’s heart using an electrical charge
Dependent variable – \DEE• pen • dent VAIR • ee • ah • bul\ The thing that we
measure and/or observe in our experiment to see if it was affected.
Depression - \dee • PRESS • shun\ a medical condition identified by clusters of
symptoms such as markedly-decreased mood, motivation, interest, energy levels, etc.
Diabetes - \ di • uh • BEE • tees\ A disease in which the body produces little or no
insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin made efficiently. Can lead to extremely
high levels of sugar in blood.
Diastolic blood pressure – \dy• uh • STAHL • ik blud PRESH • ur\ The pressure in
the arteries when the heart relaxes between beats. It is the lower number in the
measurement of a person's blood pressure. For example, in the measurement 120/75, 75
is the diastolic blood pressure.
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research
Resources of the National Institutes of Health
2
Dose - \dos\ A specified amount that is contained in a drug or medicine.
Drosophila - \dro • SOPH • ill • uh\ A genus of small flies that feed on unripe or ripe
fruit.
Electrocardiogram (EKG) – \ee • LEK • troh • KAR • dee • oh • gram\ A record of
the electrical activity of the heart. Doctors use EKGs to detect and diagnose heart
problems.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) - \ee • merj • en • see med • ick • all teck • ni
• shun\ An emergency responder trained to provide emergency medical services to the
critically ill and injured.
Emphysema - \em • fiz • EE • ma\ A chronic lung disease. It is often caused by
exposure to toxic chemicals or long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. Emphysema is
characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue; destruction of structures supporting
the alveoli; and destruction of capillaries feeding the alveoli.
Endorphins - \en • DOR • fins\ Natural pain killers released by the pituitary gland.
Fair Test - \fayr test\ When all variables and conditions are held the same throughout the
experiment, only changing your independent.
First Aid - \first ayd\ Emergency treatment administered to an injured or sick person
before professional medical care is available.
Genetic - \JEN • et • ick\ In biology, the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of
organisms.
Heart Attack - \hart AH • tack\ A serious, sudden heart condition usually characterized
by varying degrees of chest pain or discomfort, weakness, sweating, nausea, vomiting,
and arrhythmias, sometimes causing loss of consciousness. It occurs when the blood
supply to a part of the heart is interrupted, causing death and scarring of the local heart
tissue. Since the area affected may be large or small, the severity of heart attacks vary,
but they are often a life-threatening medical emergency which demand both immediate
attention and activation of the emergency medical services.
Heartburn - \HART • burn\ A painful or burning sensation in the esophagus, just below
the breastbone caused by regurgitation of gastric acid
Heart Rate - \heart rayt\ The number of times the heart beats at for a set mount of time.
High Blood Pressure - \hy blud PRES • sure\ A medical condition wherein the blood
pressure is chronically elevated.
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research
Resources of the National Institutes of Health
3
Hypothesis – \hy• PAHTH • eh • sis\ An educated guess. A prediction or possible
explanation based on known facts.
Independent variable – \in • dee • PEN • dent VAIR • ee • ah • bul\ The thing that we
change in an experiment or the thing that differs between the control and experimental
group.
Irritability - \ear • it • ah • BILL • it • ee\ An excessive response to stimuli.
Knock Down - \knok douwn\ The twitching and passing out of fruit flies.
Left atrium – \left AY • tree • um\ One of the four chambers of the heart. Blood enters
the left atrium from the pulmonary vein and exits the left atrium into the left ventricle.
Left ventricle – \left VEN • tri • cul\ One of the four chambers of the heart. Blood
enters the left ventricle from the left atrium and exits the left ventricle into the aorta.
Lethal - \LEE •thal\ Capable of causing death.
Mitral valve – \MY• trul valv\ The “one way door” that controls the flow of blood
between the left atrium and the left ventricle of the heart.
Mutation - \meu • TA • shun\ Changes to the genetic material, usually DNA or RNA.
Mutations can be induced by chemicals or radiation, or can occur naturally.
Neuron - \NEW • ron\ Specialized cells of the nervous system that transmit signals
through a synapse.
Nicotine - \NIK • oh • teen\ A highly addictive chemical found in tobacco plants.
P wave – \pee wayv\ Part of an EKG pattern that shows the electrical stimulation from
the SA node that causes the atria to contract.
P-R interval – \pee ar IN • ter vul\ The time that it takes for electrical impulse to travel
through the AV node.
Paramedic - \para • MED • ik\ A trained medical professional who responds to medical
and trauma emergencies in the pre-hospital setting ("in-field") for the purpose of
stabilizing a patient's condition before and during transportation to an appropriate
medical facility, usually by ambulance.
Plaque - \plack\ A stick or pasty substance made from dead cells, fats, and calcium. Can
be found on the inside of arteries and can lead to a very serious reduction or stoppage of
blood flow.
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research
Resources of the National Institutes of Health
4
Probe - \proube\ A sharp needle-like object used in dissections to point out or move
structures.
Pulmonary – \PUL • muh • nair • ee\ Having to do with the lungs.
Pulmonary artery – \PUL • muh • nair • ee AR • ter • ee\ The blood vessel that takes
blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.
Pulmonary valve – \PUL • muh • nair • ee valv\ The “one way door” that controls the
flow of blood from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery.
Pulmonary vein – \PUL • muh • nair • ee vayn\ The blood vessel that takes blood from
the lungs to the left atrium.
QRS complex – \kyoo ar es CAHM • pleks\ Part of an EKG pattern that shows the
electrical stimulation from the AV node that causes the ventricles to contract.
Q-T interval – \kyoo tee IN • ter vul\ The time that it takes for electrical impulse to
cause ventricles to contract and then return to beginning state.
Ratio -- \ray • SHE • o \ The relationship in quantity, amount, or size between two or
more things.
Rescue Breaths – \RES • cue breths\ Breathing for a person who is not breathing.
Reward Center - \re • WARD SEN • ter\ The place in the brain that releases the
neurotransmitter called dopamine that allows you to feel pleasure.
Right atrium – \ryt AY • tree • um\ One of the four chambers of the heart. Blood enters
the right atrium from the vena cava and exits the right atrium into the right ventricle.
Right ventricle – \ryt VEN • tri • kul\ One of the four chambers of the heart. Blood
enters the right ventricle from the right atrium and exits the right ventricle into the
pulmonary artery.
SA node – \es ay nohd\ A cluster of cells that generates regular electrical charges, which
sends the electrical signal that causes the atria to contract in a regular rate and pattern of
beats.
Shock - \shok\ A serious medical condition where blood flow is not sufficient enough to
meet the required supply. Shock many causes, symptoms and treatments.
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Resources of the National Institutes of Health
5
Sinus Tachycardia - \SIGH • nus tack • ee • CARD • ee • ah\ A rhythm with elevated
rate of impulses originating from the SA node, defined as a rate greater than 100
beats/min in an average adult.
Stroke – \strohk\ A dangerous medical condition caused by a blockage or breakage of an
artery in the brain.
Systolic blood pressure – \sis • STAHL • ik blud PRESH • ur\ Describes the surge of
pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps blood out of the left ventricle. It is the upper
number in the measurement of a person's blood pressure. For example, in the
measurement 120/75, 120 is the systolic blood pressure.
T wave – \tee wayv\ Part of an EKG pattern that shows the return of the heart to its
electrical state before the next time the atria contract.
Tendons - \TEN • dons\ The connective tissue that connects muscle to bones, in the case
of the heart the tendons open and close the valves within the heart.
Thready - \THRED • ee\ A weak, barely perceptible pulse.
Trial - \TRI • all\ The process of testing something in an experiment more than once.
Tricuspid valve – \TRY • kus • pid valv\ The “one way door” that controls the flow of
blood from the right atrium to the right ventricle
Variation - \vair • ee • AYE • shun\ A repetition with its essential features intact and
other features modified.
Vena cava – \VEE • nuh KAY • vuh\ One of the blood vessels that takes blood from the
body to the right atrium of the heart.
Ventricular Fibrillation - \ven • TRICK • you • lar fib • rill • AYE • shun\ A cardiac
condition that consists of a lack of coordination of the contraction of the muscle tissue of
the large chambers of the heart that eventually leads to the heart stopping altogether.
Vital signs - \VIE • tal sihns\ Taken by health professionals in order to assess the most
basic body functions. Vital signs are an essential part of a case presentation.
Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research
Resources of the National Institutes of Health
6
CardioHEADS Level III: Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Student Assessment
Name:_________________________________________Date:________________Period:_______
Researchers at the Denver Health Research Center did an experiment on a new dietary program. The
new dietary program encouraged people to eat a lot of whole grain foods and to reduce the amount of
animal fat in their diet. Researchers selected two groups of people for their study. The people in both
groups were between 40 and 50 years old and they were all non-smokers. All of the study participants
(in both groups) had high total cholesterol. Both groups had equal numbers of men and women and
both groups had the same number of people from different ethnic groups. At the start of the
experiment, researchers measured the cholesterol of everyone in both groups. Researchers asked
everyone in Group One to follow the new dietary program for 8 weeks. Researchers asked everyone in
Group Two to eat what they would normally eat for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, researchers
measured the cholesterol of everyone in both groups again.
1
Write one question the researchers were trying to answer with their experiment.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2 Explain why was it important that both group one and group two had people with the same
characteristics (same age, non-smokers, same number of men and women in each group and same
number of people from different ethnic groups)?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
The researchers got the following results from their experiment.
Average total cholesterol before
Average total cholesterol after
Group One (new diet)
224 mg/dL
185 mg/dL
Group Two (no special diet)
223 mg/dL
225 mg/dL
3
Before the experiment, the researchers made the hypothesis that the new dietary program would
lower people’s total cholesterol. Do the results of their experiment support their hypothesis? Explain
your answer.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4 In this experiment, what is the independent variable? ________________
What is the dependent variable? _______________
The researchers did a follow-up study in which they asked people with high cholesterol to follow the
new diet for 10 weeks. They measured their total cholesterol every week and got the following results.
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Average total cholesterol
224 mg/dL
222 mg/dL
214 mg/dL
203 mg/dL
194 mg/dL
185 mg/dL
185 mg/dL
185 mg/dL
185 mg/dL
185 mg/dL
5 Using the grid below, construct a line graph showing the relationship between number of weeks on
the dietary program and average total cholesterol. Be sure to title your graph, label each axis, and
indicate the appropriate units for each axis.
2
6 Using the data table or your graph, predict what would happen to a person’s cholesterol level if they
stayed on the special dietary program for 12 weeks. Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
3