How Do You Perform A Cardiovascular Physical Assessment?
You can sometimes determine the state of an individual’s heart by simply looking at him. For example, a person who is very ill will likely be sweating, be pale and possibly have blue-tinted lips or fingers or other extremities. Someone who has nonacute heart failure may display weakness, muscle atrophy, weight loss and significant loss of appetite. Redness around the cheeks; yellow lipid deposits around the eyes, palms or tendons; a ring around the cornea; and a displaced eyeball are all visible signs of heart problems. Ensure that the patient is undressed or in a gown and that the space where the assessment is taking place is quiet. Take the patient’s hand to check his pulse. According to the Office of Medical Informatics, you want to “compress the radial artery with your index and middle fingers.” Take the pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six. Is the pulse regular? If not, take it for 1 minute. Make a note of rate and rhythm. Measure the patient’s blood pressure using a blood pre
