Question

Describe assessment of heart function. Describe assessment parameters used for the vascular system, location of peripheral pulses and examination of jugular venous pressure.

Answer 1

The cardiovascular physical assessment begins with the heart itself. Listening to heart sounds, usually with a stethoscope, is referred to as auscultation. Auscultation can tell you if the rhythm sounds regular or irregular, how fast the heart is beating, and whether there are flow abnormalities, like murmurs.

Pulse. In the legs, doctors will commonly feel for pulses in the femoral (groin), popliteal (back of the knee), posterior tibial (ankle), and dorsalis pedis (foot) areas. Other pulses often checked include the radial (wrist), brachial (forearm), and carotid (neck) areas.