Cardiovascular

Examination
Prompt
Introduce yourself and wash your hands!

General Inspection
Age
Growth
Colour (pallor, cyanosis)
Dysmorphic features?
Monitoring/oxygen?
Respiratory effort

Hands
Perfusion
Clubbing?
Endocarditis lesions
Radial pulse
Radio-radio delay
Brachial pulse
Comment on blood pressure

Face
Conjunctival pallor
Cyanosis
Dental caries
Carotid pulse - please warn/ask the patient first! Examiner may
stop you
Jugular venous pressure

Chest
You should aim to fully expose the chest, but respect the patients
dignity. In my CVS exam, the patient refused

Inspection
Chest shape
Visible impulses
Scars

Palpation
Apex beat (dextrocardia!)
Thrills/heave

Auscultation
Apex
Left lower sternal edge
Left 2nd intercostal space
Right 2nd intercostal space
Murmur-enhancing manoeuvres
Radiation of any murmurs
Lung bases

Abdomen
Inspect for scars
Palpate:
Liver
Spleen
Ascites

Groin
Offer to inspect the groin, but preserve the patients dignity if the
examiner wishes you to examine
Inspect for any scars
Palpate the femoral pulses

Feet
Pedal pulses
Dependent oedema