Table of Contents
- 1 What should you assess first when performing a cardiovascular assessment?
- 2 What should be included in a cardiovascular assessment?
- 3 How do you assess cardiovascular?
- 4 How do you initiate a physical examination of the cardiovascular system?
- 5 Why is the positioning of the patient important in assessing cardiac patients?
- 6 What landmarks do you need to find to do a thorough cardiac assessment?
- 7 How do you assess arterial insufficiency?
What should you assess first when performing a cardiovascular assessment?
The apical pulse is an important assessment to obtain before the administration of many cardiac medications. The first heart sound (S1) identifies the onset of systole, when the atrioventricular (AV) valves (mitral and tricuspid) close and the ventricles contract and eject the blood out of the heart.
What should be included in a cardiovascular assessment?
Examination includes the following:
- Vital sign measurement.
- Pulse palpation and auscultation.
- Vein observation.
- Chest inspection, and palpation.
- Cardiac percussion, palpation, and auscultation.
- Lung examination, including percussion, palpation, and auscultation.
- Extremity and abdomen examination.
What should you ask from the patient for a cardiac assessment?
You will also want to ask about the patient’s history of heart disease, when and how it was treated, last EKG, stress tests, and serum cholesterol levels. Ask the patient the reasons for any previous hospitalizations and the nature of the treatments received while in the hospital.
How do you assess cardiovascular?
Besides measuring BP and heart rate and rhythm, a thorough cardiovascular assessment includes inspection, palpation, and auscultation. In these photos, I’ll show you how to perform them. Although percussion can provide clues to heart size, I won’t discuss it here because chest X-ray is much more reliable.
How do you initiate a physical examination of the cardiovascular system?
Heaves
- A parasternal heave is a precordial impulse that can be palpated.
- Place the heel of your hand parallel to the left sternal edge (fingers vertical) to palpate for heaves.
- If heaves are present you should feel the heel of your hand being lifted with each systole.
What other assessments should the nurse perform to check for arterial insufficiency?
Diagnosis
- Physical exam.
- Ankle-brachial index (ABI).
- Ultrasound.
- Angiography.
- Blood tests.
Why is the positioning of the patient important in assessing cardiac patients?
Coupez E, Merlin C, Tuyisenge V, Sarry L, Pereira B, Lusson JR, et al. Validation of cadmium-zinc-telluride camera for measurement of left ventricular systolic performance. J Nucl Cardiol 2017. 2.
What landmarks do you need to find to do a thorough cardiac assessment?
The five landmarks include:
- The second intercostal space right sternal border (2nd ICS, RSB)
- The second intercostal space left sternal border (2nd ICS, LSB)
- The third intercostal space left sternal border (3rd ICS, LSB)
- The fourth intercostal space left sternal border (4th ICS, LSB)
What are the method of physical examination?
WHEN YOU PERFORM a physical assessment, you’ll use four techniques: inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
How do you assess arterial insufficiency?
Some of the tests your doctor may rely on to diagnose peripheral artery disease are:
- Physical exam.
- Ankle-brachial index (ABI).
- Ultrasound.
- Angiography.
- Blood tests.