Chapter 2. Patient Assessment
2.8 Head-to-Toe Assessment: Cardiovascular Assessment
Checklist 18 provides a guide for subjective and objective data collection in a cardiovascular assessment.
Checklist 18: Cardiovascular (CV) AssessmentDisclaimer: Always review and follow your agency policy and guidelines regarding this specific skill. |
Safety considerations:
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Objective DataConsider the following observations. |
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Steps
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Additional Information |
| Colour of Skin & Mucous Membranes | Cyanosis (a bluish tinge) may suggest inadequate oxygenation and CV compromise |
| Temperature of Extremities | Hot skin may suggest fever and should be followed up with full vital signs, report to the primary prescriber, and investigation of any suspected sources of infection.
Cold skin may suggest existing or new circulatory related issues. |
| Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, SpO2 | Baseline vital signs are important in any assessment. Vital signs should be compared to the patient’s normal values. Patterns and trends outside of the normal range should be reported to the appropriate person. |
| Capillary Refill | Press on the nail beds of toes and/or fingers until there is blanching (whiteness). Release the pressure and count how many seconds until the patient’s full colour returns.
Delayed cap refill may suggest cardiovascular or respiratory dysfunction and should be followed-up with a focused assessment. |
| Edema | Edema can be the result of many things, including:
It is important to ask the patient if is this normal for them. Observe limbs simultaneously in order to compare. Unilateral edema of the leg may suggest deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Edematous tissue has a high risk of skin breakdown. Implement strategies to maintain skin integrity. |
| Palpate Extremities to Quickly Assess Colour, Warmth, Movement, and Sensation (CWMS), Capillary Refill of Hands and Feet | Colour and warmth provide information about perfusion.
Movement provides a brief overview about musculoskeletal function of extremities, which is affected by circulation. Sensation: by asking if the client has numbness and/or tingling in extremities the nurse gets a brief overview of client baseline. Altered sensation may be the result of impaired neurological function or impaired perfusion. Palpate pulses for symmetry in quality, rate, and rhythm. This provides information about perfusion. Asymmetry in relation to assessment findings may indicate a number of things including cardiovascular conditions, history of injury, or post surgical complications. Report concerns to the appropriate healthcare professional.
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| Auscultate: Apical Heart Rate for Rate and Rhythm | Apical pulses are assessed using a stethoscope placed over the 4th–5th intercostal space of the midclavicular line on the left side on adults. For accuracy, an apical heart rate should be taken for a full minute. Identify S1 and S2 and follow up on any unusual findings. |
| Clubbing of Nails | Clubbing of nails may suggest underlying cardio pulmonary disease |
Subjective DataAsk about chest discomfort, pain, or pressure. All of these may be indicative of a larger cardiovascular issue. Reports of these must be followed up with a more detailed assessment and notification to the appropriate healthcare provider. |
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A focused cardiovascular assessment may also include: |
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| Rating of Edema Using an Objective Scale |
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Jugular Vein Distension (JVD) |
Jugular vein distension of more than 3 cm above the sternal angle while the patient is sitting at 45 degrees may indicate heart failure. |
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| Rating of Peripheral Pulses Using an Objective Scale | Pulse quality may be important to assess following surgery when the patient is at risk for arterial compromise (i.e., graft occlusion). A deterioration in pulse quality might suggest arterial occlusion.
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| Auscultation of Heart Sounds | Depending on the context, nurses may need to have the skill to be able to assess specific heart sounds.
Additional resources:
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Potential cardiovascular related nursing diagnoses:
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| Data sources: Assessment Skill Checklist, 2014; BCCNP, 2018; Brodovicz et al., 2009; Hill & Smith, 1990; Jarvis, Browne, MacDonald-Jenkins, & Luctkar-Flude, 2014; Perry, Potter, & Ostendorf, 2018; Potter et al., 2019; Stephen, Skillen, Day, & Jensen, 2012; Wilson & Giddens, 2013 |
Critical Thinking Exercises
- A client has +4 edema to bilateral feet and ankles. Identify two strategies to assist in maintaining skin integrity.
- A client has just had a femoral popliteal bypass. Which peripheral pulses should be included in the assessment specific to determining arterial perfusion of the affected leg?
Attributions:
Figure 2.11 3D Human Heart and Circulatory System Illustration by Bryan Brandenburg is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Figure 2.12 Edema of Right Hand Due to Allergic Reaction by CNX Openstax is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Figure 2.13 Post Heart Transplant 21 October 2018 Harefield Hospital by Ryaninuk is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.
Figure 2.14 Clubbing Fingers by Desherinka is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Figure 2.15 Pitting Edema by James Heilman is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Figure 2.16 JVD by Ferencga is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Figure 2.17 Pulse Sites by CFCF is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.