Cardiovascular Examination Flashcards
What are the steps of cardiovascular examination?
- introduction and explanation
- inspection
- palpation
- ausculation
- other areas
- conclusion
What is the normal capillary refill time?
Less than 2 seconds
What is malar flush?
high colour over cheekbones with blueish tinge caused by reduced oxygen concentration in the blood
What is malar flush a potential sign of?
mitral disease
What is a butterfly rash?
characteristic skin lesion of systemic lupus erythematosus on the cheeks of the face across the bridge of the nose
What causes a butterfly rash?
sun exposure or can be due to acne rosacea
What is koilonchyia?
spoon-shaped nails
What can cause koilonchyia?
- iron deficiency
- malnutrition
- GI blood loss
- worms
- GI malignancy
- coeliac disease
What can clubbing of the nails be a sign of?
- heart and lung disease that reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood
- lung cancer
- congential cyanotic heart disease
- chronic lung infections
- coeliac disease
What are some signs of infective endocarditis?
- fever
- heart murmurs
- petechiae
- subungual (splinter) haemorrhages
- Osler nodes
- Janeway lesions
- roth spots
What is xanthelasmata?
yellowish flat plaques on the upper and lower eyelids
What is xanthelasmata a sign of?
underlying atherosclerosis and disturbed lipid metabolism
Where would you find the praecordium?
in the 5th intercostal space mid clavicular line
When examining the praecordium what are we looking for?
- shape
- apex beat
- scars
- heaves (when its feels abnormally large - sign of left venticular hypertrophy)
- thrills (palpable murmurs)
Where are the 4 main areas to feel/listen for murmurs?
- aortic
- pulmonic
- tricuspid
- mitral
