Lab 19 Flashcards
Every physical examination includes an assessment of the
cardiovascular system, in which the heart rate is counted, heart sounds are auscultated, and the blood pressure is measured
Heart sounds are produced by
the closing of valves at certain points during the cardiac cycle.
The first heart sound, called
S1,
S1 is caused by the
simultaneous closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves when the ventricles begin to contract during isovolumetric contraction.
The second heart sound, called
S2,
S2 is caused by
is caused by simultaneous closure of the aortic and pulmonary valves as the ventricles begin to relax during isovolumetric relaxation.
The process of listening to heart sounds is known as
auscultation (aws-kuhl-TAY-shun).
Heart sounds typically are auscultated in four areas, each of which is named for the
valve that is best heard at that specific location.
The position of each area is described relative to the
sternum and the spaces between the ribs, known as intercostal spaces.
The first intercostal space is located between the
first and second rib, which is roughly inferior to the clavicle. From the clavicle you can count down to consecutive spaces to auscultate in the appropriate areas.
The four areas,are as follows:
- Aortic area.; 2. Pulmonic area; 3. Tricuspid area. ; Mitral area
- Aortic area.
The aortic area is the location where the sounds of the aortic valve are best heard. It is located in the second intercostal space (between ribs two and three) at the right sternal border (to the right of the sternum).
- Pulmonic area.
The pulmonary valve is best heard over the pulmonic area, which is located at the second intercostal space at the left sternal border.
- Tricuspid area.
The sounds produced by the tricuspid valve are best heard over the tricuspid area, which is found in the fourth intercostal space at the left sternal border.
- Mitral area.
The mitral area is located in the fifth intercostal space at the left midclavicular line (draw an imaginary line down the middle of the clavicle).
The following variables are evaluated during heart auscultation.
■■Heart rate.
■■Heart rate.
The heart rate refers to the number of heartbeats per minute.
If the rate is more than 100, it is termed
tachycardia (tak-ih-KAR-dee-uh).
If the rate is below 60 beats per minute, it is termed
bradycardia (bray-dih-KAR-dee-uh).
■■Heart rhythm.
The heart’s rhythm refers to the pattern and regularity with which it beats.
Some rhythms are regularly irregular, in which the
rhythm is irregular but still follows a defined pattern.
Others are irregularly irregular, in which
the rhythm follows no set pattern.
■■Additional heart sounds.
Sometimes sounds in addition to S1 and S2 are heard, which could be a sign of pathology. These sounds are called S3, which occurs just after S2, and S4, which occurs immediately prior to S1.
■■Heart murmur.
A heart murmur is a clicking or “swooshing” noise heard between the heart sounds. Murmurs are caused by a valve leaking, called regurgitation, or by a valve that has lost its pliability, called stenosis (sten-OH-sis).
stenosis
where a valve has lost its pliability
Heart sounds are auscultated with a
stethoscope (STETH-oh-skohp), which you will use in this unit.
Most stethoscopes contain the following parts (Fig. 19.2)
:
■■Earpieces
are gently inserted into the external auditory canal and allow you to auscultate the heart sounds.
■■The diaphragm
is the broad, flat side of the end of the stethoscope. It is used to auscultate higher-pitched sounds and is the side used most often in auscultation of heart sounds.
■■The bell
is the concave, smaller side of the end of the stetho-scope. It is used to auscultate lower-pitched sounds.Note that sounds are not audible through both the bell and the diaphragm at the same time. Typically, the end can be flipped from one side to the other by simply turning it clockwise or counterclockwise. Before auscultating with either side, lightly tap the end to ensure that you can hear sound through it. If the sounds are faint or muted, turn the end to the other side and try again.
If the end of your stethoscope has only one side (the diaphragm), it works slightly differently.
In these stethoscopes, placing light pressure on the end as you are auscultating yields sounds associated with the diaphragm, while placing heavier pressure yields sounds associated with the bell. If you are trying to auscultate with the diaphragm and the sounds are faint, try decreasing the amount of pressure you are placing on the end. When you have completed the procedure, answer Check Your Understanding question 1 (p. 527).
A vascular examination is the portion of a physical examination that assesses the
health of the blood vessels.
Two other common tests include
auscultation of vessels; measuring capillary refill time
auscultation of vessels to check for
noises called bruits (broo-eez) and
measuring capillary refill time
capillary beds to refill.
Vascular disease in large vessels may lead to
turbulent blood flow through the vessel, producing a bruit.
Blood flows through arteries, which branch into successively
smaller arteries until they branch into arterioles.
Arterioles then feed
capillary beds, known collectively as the
microcirculation,
where gas, nutrient, and waste exchange takes place (Fig. 19.3).
Capillary beds are then drained by
venules,
which merge to form
veins.
Notice that capillary beds form
interweav-ing networks.
interweav-ing networks creates
This creates a large surface area for the rapid exchange of substances that occurs across capillary walls.
Tissue Perfusion
The amount of blood that flows to a tissue through capillary beds is called tissue perfusion.
A tissue’s perfusion is tightly regulated—if it’s too low,_________ , and if it’s too high, ____________
the cells will get insufficient oxygen and nutrients and may die; the high pressure in the capillaries can force excess water out of the blood and into the interstitial fluid
A normal capillary refill time measures
1–3 seconds; a value greater than 3 seconds may signify some sort of pathology (but be aware that it may also just mean that the patient is cold).
How to measure capillary refill time
press each finger till it turns white, wait and count till fingers turn pink again
Blood pressure is defined as
the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels.
Blood Pressure is determined by the following three factors:
cardiac output; peripheral resistance; blood volume
- Cardiac output.
Cardiac output is the amount of blood each ventricle pumps in 1 minute.
Cardiac Output is a product of
It is a product of heart rate and stroke volume, or the amount of blood pumped with each beat.
- Peripheral resistance.
Resistance is defined as any impedance to blood flow encountered in the blood vessels.
Peripheral resistance is determined largely by
It is determined largely by the degree of vasoconstriction or vasodilation in the systemic circulation.
Vasoconstriction does what to resistance, and vasodilation does what to resistance
increases resistance; decreases resistance
Other factors that influence resistance include
obstructions such as atheromatous plaques within the arteries.
Resistance is highest
away from the heart in the body’s periphery, so it is often called peripheral resistance.
- Blood volume.
The amount of blood found in the blood vessels at any given time is known as the blood volume.