CVS EXAMINATION CHECKLIST

Greet the patient

Introduce himself/herself
Ask for the patient’s name
Ask for the patient’s age
Courteous with the patient
Explain to the patient what procedure to be done
throughout the exam
Techniques of Examination)
General examination
 Wash hands using alcohol lotion (provided)
 Observe patient’s general condition
 Examination of the hand
 Pulses
- Radial
- Water-hammer pulse or collapsing pulse
- Carotid pulse
Inspection & Positioning the patient
 Appropriate position for examination (45º propped up).
 Adequate exposure (expose the chest until waist)
 Inspection from the end of bed
 Look for raised JVP
 Feel the JVP
Palpation)
 Apex beat:
 - Locate apex beat
 Thrills at the mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic
region
 Left parasternal heave at the left parasternal region
 Check for sacral edema
 Check for pedal edema
 Examine for peripheral pulses (stop student after
posterior tibial pulses, omit popliteal pulses)
Auscultation
 Auscultate the mitral region with the bell, follow by
 Turning patient to the left side and ask patient to
exhale and hold his/her breath
 Auscultate mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic
regions with diaphragm
CVS EXAMINATION CHECKLIST

 Palpate either carotid or radial pulses during

auscultation
 Auscultate both carotid pulses for bruit with
diaphragm
 Auscultate in sitting position
 pulmonary region in full inspiration
 aortic region in full expiration
 Auscultate lung bases for basal crepitation
Upon completion of above examination
 Student to suggest to do BP measurement
 Thank the patient for cooperation & wash hands

CORRECT reporting of examination findings

General Examination
 Patient’s general condition
- signs of distress/breathlessness
- cyanosis, conjunctival pallor, clubbing, splinter
hemorrhages
 Pulse
- Rate/ Rhythm
- Volume & Character
- Both present
- Collapsing pulse/slow rising pulse
Cardiovascular Inspection
 Chest deformity
 Scars
 Visible pulsations
Palpation)
Apex beat
- Character
- Location (Intercostal space and its relation to
mid-clavicular line)
 Thrills
 Left parasternal heave
Auscultation
CVS EXAMINATION CHECKLIST

 Heart sound
S1, S2
 Any added heart sounds (S3, S4, opening snap/
click)
 Murmurs
- Timing: diastolic/ pan-systolic/ejection systolic
- Best heard: location and position
Comment on sacral/pedal edema