Cardio 2 Flashcards
(26 cards)
What are the key actions in the introduction step of a cardiovascular exam?
Perform hand hygiene, introduce yourself and your role, explain the exam (including body areas and use of a stethoscope), explain you’ll report findings to a supervisor, obtain consent, and position the patient at 45°.
What do you observe during general inspection?
Posture, comfort, body habitus, color, respiratory distress, and dysmorphic features.
How do you report general inspection findings?
Upon general inspection, the patient is comfortable, alert, with normal body habitus and color, no respiratory distress or dysmorphic features. I would usually check the vital signs chart.
What signs do you check for on the hands and upper limbs?
Pallor, peripheral cyanosis, clubbing, xanthomata, splinter hemorrhages, Osler nodes, Janeway lesions.
How do you report findings in this step?
No palmar crease pallor, xanthomata, peripheral cyanosis, splinter hemorrhages, Osler nodes, or Janeway lesions. No clubbing.
What vital signs do you assess in this step?
Radial pulse (rate, rhythm), respiratory rate, radial-radial delay (simultaneous), and comment on BP and radio-femoral delay.
How do you report these findings?
Radial pulse is ___ bpm, regular and strong. Respiratory rate is ___ breaths/min. No radio-radial delay. I would take the blood pressure.
What signs do you look for in the eyes and mouth?
Eyes: Jaundice, conjunctival pallor, xanthelasma. Mouth: Central cyanosis, teeth, gums, palate.
How do you report findings in this step?
No jaundice, conjunctival pallor, or xanthelasma. Teeth, gums, and palate are normal. No central cyanosis.
What actions are taken when examining the neck?
Inspect JVP, estimate its height, palpate carotid pulses individually, auscultate for carotid bruits with patient holding breath.
How do you report neck findings?
JVP is normal at ___ cm above the sternal angle. Carotid pulses are strong and symmetrical. No carotid bruits.
What do you inspect the chest for?
Scars, chest deformities, implantable devices, visible apex beat.
How do you report chest inspection findings?
The apex beat is visible/not visible. No scars, chest deformities, or implantable devices.
What do you palpate for on the chest?
Apex beat location and character, thrills, parasternal heaves.
How do you report palpation findings?
Apex beat is normal and not displaced. No thrills or parasternal heaves.
What areas are auscultated during chest exam?
Mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary, aortic areas—listen for two cardiac cycles each.
How do you report auscultation findings?
Heart sounds are normal. No added heart sounds or murmurs.
What extra auscultation maneuvers are done?
Left lateral (recheck apex beat and mitral area), leaning forward (aortic/Erb’s point) while patient holds breath.
How do you report these findings?
No added heart sounds, friction rubs, or murmurs.
What actions are done when inspecting the back?
Check for deformities/scars, sacral edema, percuss lung bases, auscultate for crackles.
How do you report back findings?
No deformities or sacral oedema. Resonant percussion notes and normal breath sounds at lung bases.
What signs do you inspect and palpate for in the legs?
Varicose veins, color/temp, ulcers, clubbing, xanthomata, pitting oedema, calf tenderness, peripheral pulses.
How do you report lower limb findings?
Lower limbs have normal color, temperature, strong symmetrical pulses. No trophic changes, ulcers, clubbing, xanthomata, oedema, varicose veins, or calf tenderness.
What abdominal assessments are mentioned (not performed)?
Palpation: tenderness, masses, organomegaly, aneurysm. Percussion: ascites. Auscultation: bruits.
