Cardiovascular Examination Flashcards
What position does the patient need to be in?
45degrees
chest exposed
What are the main stages of the exam?
General Inspection Hands Pulses Face Close Inspection of the Chest Palpation Auscultation Sacral and Peripheral Oedema Peripheral Pulses
What are you looking for in general inspection? Where is it done from?
Anxiety Distress Breathlessness Pallor Sweating Cachexia From the end of the bed
What are you looking for when examining the hands?
Splinter Haemorrhages Clubbing Clour Temperature Sweaty Staining Capillary refill Janeway lesions Osler's nodes
What are you examining in pulses?
Radial - rate, rhythm ad respiratory rate Brachial - volume and character Blood Pressure Carotid Pulse - volume and character JVP - and hepatojugular reflex
What are you looking for during the face examination?
Conjunctival Pallor Cornea Central Cyanosis Palate Dental Hygiene Tongue to the roof of mouth and out
What are you looking for when examining the chest closely?
Scars Rashes Deformity Symmetrical movement Pulsations Heaves Breathing Pattern
What are you palpating for, and where?
Apex Beat - 5th intercostal space, mid axillary line
Parasternal Heaves - heel of the hand on the leg sternal edge
Thrills - hand horizontally across the chest
What are you listening for in Auscultation, with what part of the stethoscope?
Carotid Pulse and Bruits
4 Valves - bell and diaphragm
What manoeuvres are there for auscultating cardiac murmurs?
Atrial stenosis - carotid, hold breath
Atrial regurgitation - apex beat, lean forwards
Mitral - left sternal edge, lean to the left side
What are the peripheral pulses?
Femoral
Popliteal
Dorsalis pedis
Tibialis posterior
