Secondary Assessments - Cardiovascular PDF

Preview

Summary

Secondary Assessments...

Description

CARDIOVASCULAR SECONDARY ASSESSMENT

OPQRST ?s

Circumstances will dictate which aspects of the physical examination will be used Begin with Cardiovascular System Evaluate

Patient's circulation by assessing pulses at various locations

Assess

Skin color, temperature & condition Is the skin cool or moist? How do the mucous membranes look? Are they pink, ashen or cyanotic?

Onset Provocation

Is it positional? Does a deep breath or palpation of the chest make it worse? Did you take anything for it? Including anything non-prescribed Quality

Ask patient to describe their pain. Let patient use their own words.

Does the patient have any edema in the extremities, especially the lower extremities? *All of these physical findings can help identify poor circulation,

If patient is unable to describe pain, provide list "There are lots of different kinds of pain. Is your pain more like heaviness, pressure,

which may have been caused by failure of cardiovascular system

burning tearing, dull ache, stabbing or needle like? Region/ Radiation

Examine Respiratory System Evaluate

Looking for signs of inadequate ventilation

Assess

Are the lung sounds clear? Are breath sounds equal? Are neck veins distended? Is the trachea deviated or is it midline?

Vital Signs Measure & record vital signs Pulse, respirations & blood pressure, if available pulse oximetry

TREATMENT

When did the problem begin, and what does the patient think may have caused it? Ask what makes the pain or discomfort better or worse.

Severity

Ask where the pain is located and whether the pain has spread to another part of the body Ask the patient to rate pain on a simple scale of 1-10 10 is the worst pain imaginable Used to check if patient's pain is getting better or worse during reassessments

Timing

Find out how long the pain lasts when it is present or whether it has been intermittent or continuous...