Your unit has been dispatched to a home of an elderly woman who fell. Upon arrival, the patient was alert and oriented, and her vital signs were stable. She complained of neck pain. Upon examination of the patient’s neck, you felt no step-down in her cervical spine but decided to place her in a cervical collar as a precautionary measure. Prior to placing the patient in the cervical collar, you felt an enlarged thyroid gland. You placed the patient on the cardiac monitor and noticed she was in sinus tachycardia at 120bpm. The patient stated she had a goiter. Explain how the enlarged thyroid gland might have caused the patient’s condition.

Your response must be at least 200 words in length.