Coeur Flashcards
What do you inspect in a heart examination?
Breathing : dyspnoea, orthopnoea
Chest shape : pectus carinatum, pectus excavatum
Skin : cyanosis, clubbed finger, oedema, scars
Circulation : pulse rate, congested jugular vein
Where do you palpate the apex ?
The apex is formed by the end of the left ventricle. It is normally located on the midclavicular line in the fifth intercostal space.
How is the vibration of the apex ?
Normal : brief movement towards the chest wall during systole
Enlarged heart : beat felt laterally on supine patient
What is the specific position of the heart ?
The superior border is located in the second intercostal space.
The inferior border is the fifth intercostal space.
The right border is the right parasternum line.
The left border is the left midclavicular line.
Where do you auscultate the heart ?
All = Aortic valve : right second intercostal space, parasternally
Patient = Pulmonary valve : left second intercostal space, parasternally
Take = Tricuspid valve : left fifth intercostal space, parasternally
Med = Mitral valve : left fifth intercostal space, at the midclavicular line
Where do you hear the heart sound ?
At Erb’s point, located in the third intercostal space, and the left lower sternal border.
There we can hear both S1 and S2. It is also where you can hear heart murmur.
Where is S1 and S2 the loudest.
S1 is heard the loudest at the apex where you can also hear its splitting.
S2 is heard the loudest at the base where you can hear the splitting.
What do you assess in the apex ?
The magnitude : number of intercostal space it can be palpable (normally 1).
The intensity : normal, forceful or attenuated
The length : short or long impulse
Normally S2 is louder than S1 in the second intercostal space. What could cause a decrease in S2 loudness / increase in S1 ?
Increased contractile force.
Shortened diastole.
Increased in the forward blood flow through the AV valve.
AV valve stenosis, blood faster to the ventricles.
Why would S1 decrease in loudness ?
Reduced contractile force.
Prolonged diastole.
Inability to close the valve.
What does the varying loudness of S1 mean ? What is the cause ?
Indication of atrioventricular dissociation : atria and ventricles activate independently form each other.
Caused by : premature beats, atrial fibrillation, complete atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia and cardiac tamponade.
What indicate the loudness of A2 and P2 ?
A2 louder : might be systemic hypertension, aortic valve greater closing force
P2 louder : might be pulmonary hypertension or atrial septal defect
A2 softer : less pliable artic valve or inability to close the valve.
What increase in splitting in S2 and S1 ?
Delayed electrical activation of the right ventricle or prolonged right ventricular contraction.
What is a reverse split of the heart ?
Also called paradoxical splitting. Refer to an audible separation of A2 and P2 during expiration only. Normally the separation can only be heard during inspiration.
What causes reverse split ?
Delayed electrical activation of the left ventricle or prolonged left ventricular contraction.
What cause the heart to be enlarged ?
Also called cardiomegaly.
It can be caused by disease that make the heart work harder which result in its muscle increasing and the space t dilate.
The most common cause of it is coronary heart disease (blockage of the coronary vessels limiting the amount of blood reaching the heart).
What cause clubbed finger ?
Chronically low blood level of oxygen
What are the five heart sounds ?
S1 : Isovolumetric contraction => closing of AV valve
S2 : isovolumic relaxation => closure of semilunar valve
S3 : early ventricular filing => normal in children but associated with ventricular dilatation
S4 : atrial contraction => stiff, low compliance ventricule
S5 : abnormal splitting
What does dyspnea may indicate ?
Cardiovascular problem : myocardial infraction, congestive heart failure, pericarditis
What does cyanosis indicate ?
Central cyanosis indicate inadequate oxygenation or abnormal haemoglobin.
Peripheral cyanosis indicate : low oxygen blood stagnation.
What scars suggest cardiac surgery ?
Mid-line sternotomy suggest a coronary artery bypass graft or valve replacement.
Below left/right clavicle with a bulge of the skin suggest an implantable pacemaker.
Why would the apex not be palpable ?
Obesity (thicker chest wall) or too light apex beat.
Emphysema, pericardial infusion, shock, dextrocardie.
Why would you percuss the heart ?
It has limited use. Only if the apex cannot be palpated or if the side of the heart isn’t clear. (The other border of the heart cannot be determined accurately with percussion).