Vital Signs Exam 1 Practice

Which of the following is commonly associated with tachycardia in adults?

Pain Fever Anemia Hypoxia

Correct Answer:

Fever

Explanation:

Fever commonly drives an increased heart rate because the rise in body temperature boosts metabolic demands and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing cardiac output to meet tissues’ needs. As temperature climbs, the heart rate tends to rise—roughly about 10 beats per minute for each 1°C increase in temperature. Inflammation from fever also releases cytokines that support this autonomic activation, making tachycardia a frequent finding in adults with fever. Pain, anemia, and hypoxia can also cause faster heart rates through sympathetic activation or compensatory mechanisms, but fever is a particularly common and reliable association across many illnesses, reflecting the body's systemic response to infection or inflammation.

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