Physical Exam Flashcards
Differentiate peripheral from central cyanosis.
Peripheral cyanosis can occur with normal oxygen saturation and is due to reduced periperal circulation, which allows tissues to extract more oxygen, leaving the venous ends of the capillaries with more reduced (deoxygenated) hemoglobin. Central cyanosis is the result of arterial desaturation and is best seen in the tongue, oral mucous membranes, and trunk.
What is acrocyanosis?
Peripheral cyanosis that occurs most commonly with cold, polycythemia, or in normal newborns and young infants. It is benign.
At what arterial oxygen saturation level can cyanosis usually be appreciated on physical exam?
<85%
What is differential cyanosis?
Differential cyanosis refers to cyanosis of the lower extremities and toes but not fingers or upper extremities.
What cardiac conditions should be suspected if differential cyanosis is noted on exam?
Differential cyanosis can indicate aortic arch obstruction or persistant pulmonary HTN with ductal L>R shunting of desaturated blood.
What is the term for cyanosis that affects the lower extremities but not the upper extremities?
Differential cyanosis
What is reverse differential cyanosis?
Cyanosis that affects the (preductal) upper extremities but not the (postductal) lower extremities.
What cardiac condition should be suspected if reverse differential cyanosis is noted on exam?
Transposition of the great arteries with R>L shunting of saturated blood through the ductus.
What is the term for cyanosis that affects the upper extremities but not the lower extremities?
Reverse differential cyanosis
Which nail bed finding is concerning for infective endocarditis?
Splinter hemorrhages.
What characteristic skin finding is associated with Neurofibromatosis?
Café-au-lait macules ***picture?
What characteristic skin finding is associated with tuberous sclerosis?
Ash-leaf spots***picture?
What does significant delay or absence of the femoral pulse compared to the radial pulse indicate?
Coarctation of the aorta
What does a rapid rising or bounding pulse indicate?
This finding indicates the presence of a large PDA or aortic valve insufficiency.
In what conditions might one note a slow-rising pulse?
Aortic stenosis or HTN
What do prominent jugular veins on physical exam indicate?
Obstruction, abnormal backflow, or worsened ventricular filling due to poor compliance.
Define the a wave of jugular venous pulse mapping.
The a wave is a venous wave that occurs just before the first heart sound and is due to atrial contraction.
What does a large a wave in the jugular venous pulse map indicate?
A large a wave typically indicates elevated right ventricular end-diastolic pressures because if the right atrium contracts while there is higher filling pressure in the right ventricle, the blood is going to be pushed back to the neck.
What are cannon a waves in the jugular venous pulse map? Which conditions are associated with this phenomenon?
Cannon a waves occur when the right atrium contracts against a closed tricuspid valve, and can occur with AV dissociation (3rd degree heart block or junctional rhythm) or ventricular tachycardia.
Define the v wave of jugular venous pulse mapping.
The v wave is due to increasing filling volume and concomitant increasing pressure of the right atrium. It begins late in ventricular systole and into early diastole.
In what situations would you expect to see a large v wave in jugular venous mapping?
The v wave is large with states of poor ventricular compliance and severe tricuspid regurgitation.
Draw the jugular venous pulse wave map.***
Insert Figure 13-1***
What is the point of maximal impulse (PMI), and where is it typically located?
PMI is the portion of the chest where the apex of the heart is nearest to the surface. It is typically located just below the left nipple.
What happens to the PMI with cardiomegaly?
The PMI shifts leftward toward the axilla.
What happens to the PMI with left ventricular overload?
The impulse is stronger than typical.
What happens to the PMI with right ventricular overload?
The impulse can be felt just to the left of the left lower sternal border.
What condition should be suspected if the PMI is located in the right chest?
Dextrocardia
What actions are represented by the 1st heart sound?
The 1st heart sound reflects closure of the mitral valve, then the tricuspid valve.
Where is the 1st heart sound best auscultated?
You can best hear the 1st heart sound at the apex or LLSB.
Which conditions result in a loud 1st heart sound?
Mitral stenosis, increased ventricular contractility, or a short PR interval. All are conditions which cause the valves to come together forcefully at the beginning of systole.
Which condition results in a diminished 1st heart sound?
Conditions of decreased contractility, such as myocarditis.
In what conditions might one hear a systolic ejection click?
You can hear systolic ejection clicks when there is an enlarged great vessel at the base of the heart or when there is a thickened/abnormal semilunar valve. Examples include: Thickened semilunar valves (aortic stenosis, bicuspid aortic valve, pulmonary stenosis), enlarged aorta (tetralogy of Fallot), and truncus arteriosus (multivalved great vessel).
Differentiate between the physical exam characteristics of a pulmonary ejection click vs an aortic ejection click.
Pulmonary ejection clicks occur early in systole at the left heart base and can vary with respiration. Aortic ejection clicks generally present at the apex and do not vary with respiration.
How can palpation of the pulse be used to differentiate between 1st heart sounds and clicks?
1st heart sounds precede the pulse, while clicks are usually simultaneous with the pulse.
When do nonejection clicks occur and where are they usually heard best?
Nonejection clicks occur later in systole and are heard at the LLSB or the apex.
What condition should be suspected if a midsystolic click is best heard at the apex?
Mitral valve prolapse
What actions are represented by the 2nd heart sound?
The 2nd heart sound reflects closure of the aortic valve, then the pulmonic valve.