Cardiovascular 1 Flashcards
How can you break down examinations? How do you remember this?
- Position and exposure
- Inspection
- Palpation
- Percussion
- Auscultation
- PIPPA
What should the position and exposure of the patient be?
- Patient to be lying on the couch, at a 45 degree angle
- exposed from the waist upwards
- offer the patient a blanket so they will only be exposed when appropriate, and if relevant patients do not need to remove their bras
How do you inspect the patient?
perform a general inspection from the end of the bed
How can you feel an arterial pulse?
- in any artery that lies near the surface of the body
- especially when it can be compressed against bone or any firm structure
How do you palpate the pulse?
index and the middle fingers (the ring finger is optional) t
Which fingers should you not use to palpate the pulse?
index
How do you assess pulse rate?
- palpating right radial pulse
- expressed in beats per minute
How do you asses rhythm?
- palpating right radial pulse
- regular or irregular
What can irregular rhythm be due to?
cardiac problems such as atrial fibrillation or ectopic beats
How do you assess character and volume?
- palpating the right carotid artery pulse
- closest to the heart than the radial pulse
How do you assess symmetry of radial, brachial, femoral, popliteal, and pedal pulses?
comparing pulses on both sides
What delays are abnormal?
Radio-femoral delays between major arteries might observed and are abnormal
What is useful to know when palpating arteries?
anatomical landmarks where the arteries are easily accessible
What arteries do you palpate and in what order?
- Radial pulse
- Ulnar pulse
- Brachial pulse
- Common carotid pulse
Where do palpate the radial artery?
- at the wrist over the distal end of radius
- lateral to the tendon of flexor carpi radialis muscle
- superficial and easily accessible
- most common artery used to measure patient’s pulse rate and rhythm
Where do you palpate the ulnar artery?
- at the wrist over the distal end of the forearm
2. lateral to the tendon of flexor carpi ulnaris muscle
Where do you palpate the brachial artery?
- medial side of the tendon of biceps muscle
2. easier to palpate the pulse when the elbow is fully extended
Where do you palpate axillary artery?
- medial side of humerus (lateral wall of the axilla) 2. posterior to the tendon of the short head of biceps
What are the upper limb arteries to palpate?
- Radial artery
- Ulnar artery
- Brachial artery
- Axillary artery
How do you palpate a common carotid artery?
- palpated in the neck
- between the lateral side of thyroid cartilage and medial border of sternocleidomastoid muscle
- strongest pulse of all
How do you palpate the carotid pulse?
- ideal for the assessment of the amplitude, shape and volume of the pulse
- that are important in the diagnosis of underlying heart disease
How do you palpate the superficial temporal artery?
- palpated the in front of the tragus of the ear
2. this vessel is a terminal branch of the external carotid artery
How do you palpate the subcalvian artery?
- palpated in the supraclavicular fossa region
- at the angle between clavicle and sternocleidomastoid muscle
- at this site you can compress and occlude the artery completely
What are the arteries to palpate in the head and neck region?
- Common carotid artery
- Carotid pulse
- Superficial temporal artery
- Subclavian artery