Cardiovascular Examination Flashcards
Cardiovascular Exam
What are the key steps in the introduction phase of the Cardiovascular Examination, and why is it important to wash your hands and clean the stethoscope?
Introduce yourself, confirm patient identity, explain the procedure, obtain informed consent, offer a chaperone, expose/position the patient, and wash hands/clean stethoscope to ensure hygiene.
What aspects are observed during the general inspection from the end of the bed in the Cardiovascular Examination?
Observe the patient’s alertness, comfort, color, signs of breathlessness, and check for mechanical ticking. Assess the environment for oxygen, medications (especially GTN), and relevant observations on the drug chart or Yellow book.
Cardiovascular Examination
What are the components of the peripheral examination, and what signs are assessed in the hands and arms?
Components include assessing pulse, tar staining, bruising, capillary refill, peripheral cyanosis, and clubbing. Evaluate blood pressure, scars, and bruising in the arms.
Cardiovascular Examination
What steps are involved in inspecting the praecordium during the Cardiovascular Examination?
Inspect for scars (e.g., sternotomy/pacemaker), observe the apex, and palpate for heaves and thrills.
Cardiovascular Examination
What are the key descriptors to consider when assessing murmurs during the Cardiovascular Examination?
Consider position in the cardiac cycle, character, duration, shape, pitch, quality, location, radiation, relationship to breathing, position, and intensity. Use a grading scale for systolic murmurs.
Cardiovascular Examination
How do you conclude the Cardiovascular Examination, and why is it important to explain the next steps to the patient or summarize findings to the supervisor?
Thank the patient, ensure comfort, wash hands, and explain the next steps or summarize findings for effective communication and patient understanding.
Cardiovascular Examination
When differentiating between Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation murmurs, what descriptors would you focus on?
Focus on position in the cardiac cycle, character, location, radiation, and intensity to distinguish between Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation murmurs.
Cardiovascular Exam
What are Normal Heart Sounds
S1 and S2.
S1 is caused by the closing of atrioventricular valves at the beginning of systole;
S2 is caused by the closing of aortic and pulmonary valves closing at the beginning of diastole
Cardiovascular Examination
Identify the sound
Aortic Stenosis
Cardiovascular Examination
Identify the sound
Aortic Regurgitation
Cardiovascular Examination
Identify the sound
Mitral Regurgitation
Cardiovascular Examination
Heaves
- Place the heel of your hand parallel to the left sternal edge (fingers vertical) to palpate for heaves.
- If heaves are present you should feel the heel of your hand being lifted with each systole.
- Parasternal heaves are typically associated with right ventricular hypertrophy.
Cardiovascular Examination
Thrills
- palpable vibration caused by turbulent blood flow through a heart valve (a thrill is a palpable murmur).
- You should assess for a thrill across each of the heart valves in turn (see valve locations below).
- To do this place your hand horizontally across the chest wall, with the flats of your fingers and palm over the valve to be assessed.
Cardiovascular Examination
How do you Auscultate the four valves?
- Palpate the carotid pulse to determine the first heart sound.
Auscultate through the valve areas using the diaphragm of the stethoscope whilst continuing to palpate the carotid pulse:
Mitral valve: 5th intercostal space in the midclavicular line.
Tricuspid valve: 4th or 5th intercostal space at the lower left sternal edge.
Pulmonary valve: 2nd intercostal space at the left sternal edge.
Aortic valve: 2nd intercostal space at the right sternal edge.
Repeat auscultation across the four valves with the bell of the stethoscope.
(I’ve done this backwards start aortic)
Cardiovascular Examination
What is an Accentuation manoeuvre?
To amplify sounds such as ejection systolic murmur and early diastolic murmur
Cardiovascular manoeuvres
How to find an ejection systolic murmur caused by aortic stenosis.
Auscultate the carotid arteries using the diaphragm of the stethoscope whilst the patient holds their breath to listen for radiation of an ejection systolic murmur caused by aortic stenosis.
Cardiovascular examinaiton
How to find early diastolic murmur caused by aortic regurgitation?
Sit the patient forwards and auscultate over the aortic area with the diaphragm of the stethoscope during expiration to listen for an early diastolic murmur caused by aortic regurgitation.
Cardiovascular examination
How to find a pansystolic murmur caused by mitral regurgitation?
Roll the patient onto their left side and listen over the mitral area with the diaphragm of the stethoscope during expiration to listen for a pansystolic murmur caused by mitral regurgitation. Continue to auscultate into the axilla to identify radiation of this murmur.
Cardiovascular examination
How to find a mid-diastolic murmur caused by mitral stenosis.
With the patient still on their left side, listen again over the mitral area using the bell of the stethoscope during expiration for a mid-diastolic murmur caused by mitral stenosis.
Cardiovascular Examination
Why are we using Bell vs Diaphragm?
The bell of the stethoscope is more effective at detecting low-frequency sounds, including the mid-diastolic murmur of mitral stenosis.
The diaphragm of the stethoscope is more effective at detecting high-frequency sounds, including the ejection systolic murmur of aortic stenosis, the early diastolic murmur of aortic regurgitation and the pansystolic murmur of mitral regurgitation
Cardiovascular Examination
Posterior Chest Wall
- Inspect
- Auscultate Lung fields for crackles (PE and Left Ventricular failure) and for abstend air entry and dullness for pleural effusion (left ventricular failure)
- Sacral pitting oedema
- Legs and ankles for pitting pedal oedema (right ventricular failure)
- Inspect the patient’s legs for evidence of saphenous vein harvesting (performed as part of a coronary artery bypass graft).
Cardiovascular Examination
To complete the examination
Explain to the patient that the examination is now finished.
Thank the patient for their time.
Dispose of PPE appropriately and wash your hands.
Summarise your findings.
Cardiovascular Examination
Example Summary
Example summary
“Today I examined Mrs Smith, a 64-year-old female. On general inspection, the patient appeared comfortable at rest and there were no objects or medical equipment around the bed of relevance.”
“The hands had no peripheral stigmata of cardiovascular disease and were symmetrically warm, with a normal capillary refill time.”
“The pulse was regular and there was no radio-radial delay. On auscultation of the carotid arteries, there was no evidence of carotid bruits and on palpation, the carotid pulse had normal volume and character.”
“On inspection of the face, there were no stigmata of cardiovascular disease noted in the eyes or mouth and dentition was normal.”
“Assessment of the JVP did not reveal any abnormalities and the hepatojugular reflux test was negative.”
“Closer inspection of the chest did not reveal any scars or chest wall abnormalities. The apex beat was palpable in the 5th intercostal space, in the mid-clavicular line. No heaves or thrills were noted.”
“Auscultation of the praecordium revealed normal heart sounds, with no added sounds.”
“There was no evidence of peripheral oedema and lung fields were clear on auscultation.”
“In summary, these findings are consistent with a normal cardiovascular examination.”
“For completeness, I would like to perform the following further assessments and investigations.”
Cardiovascular Examination
Further investigations to offer:
- Measure blood pressure: to identify hypotension, hypertension or significant discrepancies between the two arms suggestive of aortic dissection.
- Peripheral vascular examination: to identify peripheral vascular disease, which is common in patients with central cardiovascular pathology.
- Record a 12-lead ECG: to look for evidence of arrhythmias or myocardial ischaemia.
- Dipstick urine: to identify proteinuria or haematuria which can be associated with hypertension.
- Bedside capillary blood glucose: to look for evidence of underlying diabetes mellitus, a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Perform fundoscopy: if there were concerns about malignant hypertension, fundoscopy would be performed to look for papilloedema.
Cardiovascular Exam
Colour is a sign of….
Inspection
pallor suggests poor peripheral perfusion (e.g. congestive heart failure) and cyanosis may indicate underlying hypoxaemia.
Cardiovascular Exam
Tar staining is a sign of….
Inspection
: caused by smoking, a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (e.g. coronary artery disease, hypertension).
Cardiovascular Exam
Xanthomata is ….
Inspection
raised yellow cholesterol-rich deposits that are often noted on the palm, tendons of the wrist and elbow. Xanthomata are associated with hyperlipidaemia (typically familial hypercholesterolaemia), another important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (e.g. coronary artery disease, hypertension).
Cardiovascular Exam
Arachnodactyly is
Inspection
fingers and toes are abnormally long and slender, in comparison to the palm of the hand and arch of the foot. Arachnodactyly is a feature of Marfan’s syndrome, which is associated with mitral/aortic valve prolapse and aortic dissection.
Cardiovascular Exam
Finger clubbing is ….
Inspection
Ask the patient to place the nails of their index fingers back to back.
In a healthy individual, you should be able to observe a small diamond-shaped window (known as Schamroth’s window)
When finger clubbing develops, this window is lost.
most likely to appear in a cardiovascular OSCE station include congenital cyanotic heart disease, infective endocarditis and atrial myxoma (very rare).
Cardiovascular Exam
Splinter haemorrhages are..
Inspection
longitudinal, red-brown haemorrhage under a nail that looks like a wood splinter. Causes include local trauma, infective endocarditis, sepsis, vasculitis and psoriatic nail disease.
ENDOCARDITIS
Cardiovascular Exam
Janeway lesions are….
Inspection
non-tender, haemorrhagic lesions that occur on the thenar and hypothenar eminences of the palms (and soles). Janeway lesions are typically associated with infective endocarditis.
ENDOCARDITIS
Cardiovascular Exam
Osler’s nodes are….
Inspection
red-purple, slightly raised, tender lumps, often with a pale centre, typically found on the fingers or toes. They are typically associated with infective endocarditis.
Palpation
ENDOCARDITIS
Cardiovascular Examination
Temperature suggests…
Palpation
In healthy individuals, the hands should be symmetrically warm, suggesting adequate perfusion.
Cool hands may suggest poor peripheral perfusion (e.g. congestive cardiac failure, acute coronary syndrome).
Cool and sweaty/clammy hands are typically associated with acute coronary syndrome.
Cardiovascular Examination
Capillary Refill time
Apply five seconds of pressure to the distal phalanx of one of a patient’s fingers and then release.
In healthy individuals, the initial pallor of the area you compressed should return to its normal colour in less than two seconds.
A CRT that is greater than two seconds suggests poor peripheral perfusion (e.g. hypovolaemia, congestive heart failure) and the need to assess central capillary refill time.