Cardiovascular System Assessment Flashcards
Components of the cardiovascular assessment
general obs
pulse: rate, rhythm, depth, character, volume
Capillary refill time
Blood pressure
3 lead ECG
How does a patient look unwell?
Sweating (cardiac failure, pre/post syncope, blood pressure)
Pale (anaemia, drugs, blood loss)
Flushed (fever, hypertension, physical activity)
Warm/Cold
Colour?
What creates the blood pressure?
The alternating expansion and recoil of the elastic arteries after ventricular systole creating a wave.
Normal, High and Low pulse readings?
Normal: 60-100bpm
High: more than 100bpm
Low: less than 60bpm
What can cause bradycardia?
sleep, being athletic, hypothyroidism, beta blockers, hypothermia and arrythmias
What can cause tachycardia?
exercise, pain, anxiety, excitement, hyperthyroidism, stimulants and arrythmias
Pulse sites
Carotid, brachial, radial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial artery, dorsalis pedis artery.
Systolic BP
The highest level blood pressure reaches when ventricles contract and blood flows through arteries
What does the capillary refill test measure?
the time taken for a distal capillary bed to regain its colour after pressure is applied to cause blanching
What is a normal capillary refill time?
2 seconds
Diastolic BP
the lowest blood pressure reaches during ventricular diastole
Pulse pressure
the difference between the systolic and diastolic number
Mean arterial pressure
the average pressure during one cardiac cycle
Blood pressure values (normal, high and low)
Normal: 120/80mmHg
High: Systolic is greater than 140mmHg
Low: Systolic is lower than 90mmHg
What is the systolic threshold for treatment with IV fluids?
90mmHg
