OSCE Flashcards
General inspection in a cardio exam - what are you looking for?
- Cyanosis
- SOB
- pallor
- Malar flush
- oedema
Cyanosis on general examination indicates?
poor circulation e.g hypovalaemia or inadequate oxygenation of the blood e.g. right-to-left cardiac shunting).
SOB on general examination indicates?
cardio disease e.g. congestive heart failure, pericarditis OR
respiratory disease (e.g. pneumonia, pulmonary embolism).
Pallor on general exam indicates?
Underlying anaemia (e.g. haemorrhage, chronic disease) or poor perfusion (e.g. congestive cardiac failure).
Malar flush in a cardio exam indicates?
mitral stenosis
Oedema on cardio exam indicates?
most likely congestive heart failure
What are you looking for in the hands in a Cardio exam and why?
Colour - cyanosis may indicate poor perfusion
Tar staining - smoking is a risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Xanthomata - seen in hyperlipidaemia
arachnodactyly - long slender fingers - may be seen in marfans syndrome which is associated with aortic/mitral prolapse and aortic stensosis
Clubbing - congenital cyanotic heart disease, infective endocarditis and atrial myxoma
splinter haemorrhages, janeway lesions and oslers nodes - associated with endocarditis.
What could splinter haemorrhages in nails suggest?
infective endocarditis
sepsis
vasculitis
psoriatic nail disease
What could the temperature of the hands in the context of a cardio exam tell you?
They should be symmetrically warm. If cold then could indicate poor perfusion (e.g. congestive HF) or if Cold and sweaty then acute coronary syndrome
Causes of radio-radial delay?
Subclavian artery stenosis (e.g. compression by cervical rib)
aortic dissection
aortic coarctation
Causes of collapsing pulse?
- normal physiological states (e.g. fever, pregnancy)
- cardiac lesions (e.g. aortic regurgitation, patent ductus arteriosus)
- high output states (e.g. anaemia, arteriovenous fistula, thyrotoxicosis)
What is slow rising pulse associated with?
aortic stenosis
what is bounding pulse associated with?
aortic regurgitation
CO2 retention
what is thready pulse associated with?
intravascular hypovolaemia in conditions such as sepsis
Definition of hypotension?
<90/60mmHg
Definition of narrow pulse-pressure?
<25mmHg between systolic and diastolic
Causes of narrow pulse pressure?
aortic stenosis
congestive heart failure
cardiac tamponade.
Definition of wide pulse pressure?
> 100mmHg between systolic and diastolic
Causes of wide pulse pressure?
aortic regurgitation
aortic dissection
BP difference of over 20mmHg in each arm causes?
aortic dissection
Why should you auscultate carotid pulse before palpating?
if bruit is present then this could suggest carotid stenosis making palpation potentially dangerous as this could dislodge plague causing ischaemic stroke
Patient instructions for auscultating carotid pulse?
deep breath in and hold while listening
which murmur can radiate to the carotids causing a bruit sound?
aortic stenosis
causes of raised JVP?
INDICATES VENOUS HYPERTENSION:
Right sided HF
tricuspid regurgitation
constrictive pericarditis
What does a +ve hepatojugular reflex indicate?
the right ventricle is unable to accommodate an increased venous return -
- Constrictive pericarditis
- Right ventricular failure
- Left ventricular failure
- Restrictive cardiomyopathy
what is a +ve hepatojugular reflex result?
If the rise in JVP is sustained (>2-3 cardiac cycles) and equal to or greater than 4cm
conjunctival Pallor in eyes is suggestive of?
anaemia
Eye signs of hypercholestolaemia?
corneal arcus
xanthelasma
Kayser-fleisher rings in eyes suggestive of?
Wilsons disease
Displacement of apex beat is suggestive of?
ventricular hypertrophy
What is a heave and what does it suggest?
parasternal heave is a precordial impulse that can be palpated.
ventricular hypertrophy
What is a thrill?
A thrill is a palpable vibration caused by turbulent blood flow through a heart valve (a thrill is a palpable murmur).
what are the valve locations?
- 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.
What is the diaphragm used to hear?
more effective at detecting high-frequency sounds,
(ejection systolic murmur of aortic stenosis, the early diastolic murmur of aortic regurgitation and the pansystolic murmur of mitral regurgitation)
What is the bell used to hear?
more effective at detecting low-frequency sounds, (mid-diastolic murmur of mitral stenosis)
ejection systolic murmur which can radiate to carotids = ?
aortic stenosis
Special test for 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.
Special test for 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.
Special test for 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.
Coarse crackles on auscultation of lung fields?
pulmonary oedema (associated with left ventricular failure).
Absent air entry on auscultation of lung fields and stony dullness on percussion?
pleural effusion (associated with left ventricular failure).
How to calculate HR on ECG?
regular rhythm - 300/no. of large squares in R-R
irregular - no. of complexes x 6
+ve lead I, II and III = ? axis
normal
+ve lead I, -ve lead II and III = ? axis
left axis deviation
-ve lead I, +ve lead II and III = ? axis
right axis deviation
heart on wrong side of chest name?
dextrocardia
normal length of PR interval?
120-200ms (3-5 small squares)
What is a prolonged PR?
> 200ms (5 small squares) suggests the presence of atrioventricular delay (AV block).
What is 1st degree heart block?
fixed prolonged PR interval (>200 ms).
What is 2nd degree heart block (type 1)?
progressive prolongation of the PR interval until eventually the atrial impulse is not conducted and the QRS complex is dropped.
What is 2nd degree heart block (type 2)?
consistent PR interval duration with intermittently dropped QRS complexes due to a failure of conduction.
The intermittent dropping of the QRS complexes typically follows a repeating cycle of every 3rd (3:1 block) or 4th (4:1 block) P wave.
What is complete heart block?
No electrical communication between the atria and ventricles due to a complete failure of conduction.
Typical ECG findings include the presence of P waves and QRS complexes that have no association with each other, due to the atria and ventricles functioning independently.
Delta waves on ECG suggest?
Wolff-parkinson-white syndrome
How many seconds is a broad / narrow QRS?
narrow - <0.12s (normal)
broad - >0.12s
Which bloods in upper GI bleed?
Haemoglobin (FBC)
Urea (U&E’s)
Coagulation (INR, FBC for platelets)
Liver disease (LFT’s)
Crossmatch
Difference between group and save and crossmatch?
Group and save - lab checks blood group and saves sample in case they need to match blood to it
Crossmatch - lab finds blood, tests compatibility and keeps it so it is ready
Large rise in ALT + small rise or normal ALP = ?
Hepatocellular injury
Large rise in ALP + small rise in ALT = ?
Cholestasis
What is important to assess if ALP is high?
GGT - if both high then highly suggestive of cholestasis
ALP raised but GGT normal = ?
non-biliary cause of rise such as bony metastases or bony tumour, vit D deficiency, recent bone fracture
Isolated rise in bilirubin?
Gilbert syndrome
or
haemolysis
What is the liver’s main synthetic functions?
- Conjugation and elimination of bilirubin
- Synthesis of albumin
- Synthesis of clotting factors
- Gluconeogenesis
Normal urine + normal stool + jaundice = what cause?
pre-hepatic (unconjugated hyperbilirubaemia) he.g. haemolysis, gilberts, impaired hepatic intake
Dark urine + normal stool + jaundice = what cause?
Hepatic
Dark urine + pale stool + jaundice = what cause?
Post-hepatic (obstruction)
Causes of a fall in albumin?
- Liver disease resulting in a decreased production of albumin (e.g. cirrhosis).
- Inflammation triggering an acute phase response which temporarily decreases the liver’s production of albumin.
- Excessive loss of albumin due to protein-losing enteropathies or nephrotic syndrome.
A ALT > AST ratio = ?
Chronic liver disease (NAFLD or NASH)
A AST > ALT ratio = ?
acute liver disease (cirrhosis or acute alcoholic hepatitis)
common causes of acute hepatocellular injury?
- Poisoning (paracetamol overdose)
- Infection (Hepatitis A and B)
- Liver ischaemia
Common causes of chronic hepatocellular injury?
- Alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Chronic infection (Hepatitis B or C)
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
(less common causes - wilsons, haemochromatosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency)
Nail bed pulsation (Quincke’s sign) = ?
aortic regurgitation
Bowel obstruction causes?
- adhesions (SB)
- hernias (sb)
- malignancy (LB)
Why might you see deltoid wasting on a MSK exam?
Disuse atrophy
axillary nerve injury
What might trapezius muscle asymmetry suggest?
suggestive of muscle wasting secondary to misuse or spinal accessory nerve lesion
What might Supraspinatus and infraspinatus asymmetry suggest?
muscle wasting secondary to chronic rotator cuff tear or suprascapular nerve lesion
How do you assess for a winged scapula?
ask the patient to push against a wall with both hands spaced shoulder-width apart whilst you inspect the back.
What is a winged scapula suggestive of?
ipsilateral serratus anterior muscle weakness, typically secondary to a long thoracic nerve injury.
What could increased temperature of a joint indicate?
Septic arthritis / inflammatory arthritis
For the shoulder exam - how do you test:
1. external rotation + abduction
2. internal rotation + adduction
- hands behind head with elbows out
- hands behind back and reach up as far as they can
Shoulder exam - how do you test:
1. Active shoulder flexion
2. Active shoulder extension
3. Active abduction
4. Active adduction
5. External rotation
6. Internal rotation
- Ask the patient to raise their arms forwards until they’re pointing up towards the ceiling.
- Ask the patient to stretch out their arms behind them.
- Ask the patient to raise their arms out to the sides in an arc-like motion until their hands touch above their head.
- Ask the patient to keep their arms straight and move them across the front of their body to the opposite side.
- Ask the patient to keep their elbows by their sides flexed at 90° whilst they move their forearms outwards in an arc-like motion.
- Ask the patient to place each hand behind their back and reach as far up their spine as they are able to.
How do you assess cranial nerve I + what nerve + what does it do?
Ask if any changes in smell.
olfactory - sense of smell.
How do you assess cranial nerve II + what nerve + what does it do?
Optic nerve
- Inspect eyes - size, shape, colour and external features.
- Snellen chart:
- Ishihara plate
- direct pupil reflex
- consensual papillary reflex
- accommodation reflex
- visual neglet
- visual fields
- blind spot
- swinging light reflex - checks for relative afferent pupillary defect
- fundoscopy
‘sunny storm appearance’’ on fundoscopy = ?
central retinal vein occlusion
‘cherry red spot’ on macula = ?
central retinal artery occlusion
ptosis + dilated pupil = ?
ptosis + constricted pupil = ?
nerve III palsy
horner’s syndrome
‘up and out’ eye = which nerve affected?
cranial nerve IV (trochlear)
Characteristic chest signs of pneumonia?
- Bronchial breath sounds - harsh breath sounds equally loud on inspiration and expiration. These are caused by consolidation of the lung tissue around the airway.
- Focal coarse crackles. These are air passing through sputum in the airways similar to using a straw to blow in to a drink.
- Dullness to percussion due to lung tissue collapse and/or consolidation.
What is FEV1 + when would it be reduced?
Forced expiratory volume in 1 second.
Reduced if there is any obstruction to the air flow out of the lungs.
What is FVC + when will it be reduced?
Forced vital capacity - total amount of air a person can exhale after a full inhalation.
reduced if restriction on the capacity of lungs
Lung function test patterns for obstructive and restrictive lung disease?
Obstructive:
- FEV1 less then 75% of FVC (FEV1:FVC ratio <75%)
Restrictive:
- FEV1 and FVC both reduced + FEV1:FVC ratio >75%
What is the ‘triangle of safety” for chest drain insertion?
- The 5th intercostal space (or the inferior nipple line)
- The mid axillary line (or the lateral edge of the latissimus dorsi)
- The anterior axillary line (or the lateral edge of the pectoris major)
Signs and symptoms of pulmonary hypertension?
SOB - main presenting symptom
syncope
tachycardia
raised JVP
hepatomegaly
peripheral oedema
ECG changes in pulmonary hypertension?
Right ventricular hypertrophy - larger R waves in V1-3 and S waves in V4-6.
Right axis deviation
Right bundle branch block
Pulmonary hypertension X-ray changes?
dilated pulmonary arteries
right ventricular hypertrophy