Advanced Health Assessment (cardiac, respiratory, neuro)

preventive care points

smoking cessation
environmental exposures
vaccines
mgmt of chronic diseases
screenings

smoking cessation 5As

ask
advise
assess
assist
arrange

common respiratory complaints

cough
dyspnea
hemoptysis
chest pain

respiratory differentials

URI
asthma, COPD
pneumonia
bronchitis
nosocomial pneumonia
TB
CA
ILD
sleep apnea
smoking

respiratory relevant family history

TB
CF
Emphysema/COPD
CA-smoking
allergies and asthma
systemic disease - RA, SLE, sarcoidosis
dermatitis

acute

< 3wks

subacute

3-8wks

chronic

> 8wks

on examination...

privacy, unclothed, stethoscope to skin

respiratory inspection

general assessment - is it an emergency
audible sounds
speech - can they speak in sentences
VS
chest movement
chest shape and symmetry

inspiration:expiration ration

1:2, 1:3

expiration

increases with obstruction

inspiration

increases with fibrotic lung tissue

pectus excavatum

sunken appearance of chest
not a problem unless causing a problem

pectus carinatum

protrusion of the sternum and ribs
congenital or after open heart surgery

respiratory inspection systems

ENT
skin/nails - cyanosis, bruising, clubbing
neck - JVD, tracheal position
mouth - open mouthed, pursed lip, color

rib excursion

place hands at either side of chest at 10th rib, inhale
affected side will lag behind normal side

tactile fremitus

99"
test pneumonia, pneumothorax, COPD

percuss above diaphragm

resonant

percuss below diaphragm

dull

flatness

high pitched
watery, fatty tissue or dense bone
practice on thigh

dullness

soft bass
fluid-filled (consolidation)
practice on liver

resonance

longer, louder bass
air-filled lung tissue
practice on 2nd R interspace

tympany

musical, light
air-filled chamber
practice on puffed cheeks

hyperresonance

booming bass
hyper inflated lung (COPD)

adventitious sounds

rhonchi
wheeze
crackles (rales)
rubs

rhonchi

low snore

wheeze

high pitched, musical, whistling

crackles

high to low pitched, popping

rubs

walking in snow

egophony

patient says E but you hear A over areas of consolidation

pediatric auscultation

focus on inspiration
start with auscultation in kids
listen to respirations first

respiratory measurements

peak flow
PFM
Spirometry
rib fracture test
walk test
forced expiratory time test

PFM

regularly monitor lung fcn and response to tx
determine severity of asthma attack
assess response to tx during an attack

spirometry

diagnoses pulmonary disease (COPD)

rib fracture test

anteroposterior pressure test
hands on sternum and spine
location of pain suggests fracture

walk test

used for COPD and asthma
VS before and after
measures distance walked in 6 minutes

forced expiratory time

inhale and exhale completely w/ open mouth
listen at trachea for audible expiration/3 readings

COPD

onset in midlife
symptoms slowly progressive
long smoking hx or environ exposure

asthma

onset early in life
symptoms vary day to day
usually worse at night/early morning
family hx asthma
parent smokes

asthma on exam

expiratory wheezes
accessory muscle breathing
increased resp rate
cyanosis
pulse ox trend

asthma causes

airway obstruction
airway inflammation
airway hyper-responsiveness to stimuli
recurrent inflammation induced bronchospasm

COPD on exam

scattered inspiratory and expiratory wheezes and crackles
cyanosis
pulse ox trends
signs of R sided heart failure
I:E is 1:4 of greater

ace inhibitors

SE - cough

CURB score

assess for outpatient pneumonia or hospitalization

viral rhinitis

cough, congestion, sore throat, fever, chills, myalgias

acute bronchitis

<3mos, hx URI, hacking productive cough, course fine crackles or rhonchi on auscultation

hemoptysis

most common cause bronchitis

dyspnea

increased awareness or work of breathing

foreign body PE

apnea/tachypnea
retractions
stridor
wheeze

anaphylaxis PE

angioedema
rash
wheezes bilat
tachypnea
tachycardia

pneumothorax/hemothorax PE

decreased breath sounds
decreased tactile fremitus
lung hyper-resonance
HTN
tracheal shift

croup PE

fever
horse, seal-like barking cough

acute epiglottis PE

fever
drooling
strider
muffled voice

status asthmaticus PE

coughing, wheezing, tachycardia

botulism PE

hypoventilation, drooling, weak cry, ptosis, loss of head control

Pulmonary embolism PE

anxiety, fear
tachypnea, tachycardia
decreased breath sounds
crackles, wheezes

pulmonary embolism risk factors

> 60
pulmonary HTN, CHF, CA, CVA
medications (oral contraceptive, blood thinners)
recent trauma or immobility

costochondritis

reproducible pain on palpation

L sided symptoms

fluid backs up in lungs
SOB

R sided symptoms

fluid backs up into ABD, legs, feet
peripheral edema

cardiovascular risk factors

family hx of premature CVD
smoking
poor diet
physical inactivity
central obesity

ischemia red flag

chest pain that occurs with activity and resolves with rest

chest pain differentials

cardiac
musculoskeletal
GI
pulmonary

thoracic aortic dissection

severe sharp, ripping, tearing or searing quality
starts at chest and moves to ABD over time
diminished pulses
sinus tachycardia
moderate to severe hypotension

thoracic aortic dissection risk factors

male
cocaine or ecstasy use
advanced age
pregnancy
Turner's Syndrome or Marfan"s

thoracic AA x-ray findings

widening of mediastinal silhouette
displacement of trachea from midline
displaced calcification
opacification

pulmonary chest pain differentials

pleurisy
pneumonia
bronchitis
PE
pneumothorax

PE differentials

unexplained tachy
hypoxia
syncope

GI chest pain

GERD/PUD
pancreatitis
esophagitis
esophageal rupture
gall bladder disease

chest wall pain

costochondritis
rheumatic disease
skin and sensory pain
rib fx

classic" chest pain

left sided pressure radiating to left arm or jaw
dyspnea, nausea, dizziness and diaphoresis

non-ischemic pain signs

points to pain with 1 finger
mid or lower abd
pleuritic pain
reproducible pain
constant pain
radiation to lower extremities or above jawl

essential bp

without cause
90-95% of HTN

orthopnea

dyspnea that occurs when lying down and improves when sits up

paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea

sudden dyspnea that awakens pt from sleep
1-2 hrs after going to bed
can't sleep lying down

Ca+ channel blockers

SE - LE edema

leg pain/cramps causes

DVT
musculoskeletal
peripheral neuropathy
spinal stenosis
claudication
"charley horse"
PAD

venous pain

increased with standing
decreased with elevation
better with walking
localized at site of vein

arterial pain

relieved with rest
increased with elevation
worse with walking
regional areas of arterial flow

charley horse causes

could be first sign of claudication
poor circulation
fatigue
overexertion
mineral deficiency
medications

claudication

reproducible , intermittent, tight squeezing pain involving a defined group of muscles that is induced by exercise and relieved by rest - usually a smoker - caused by artery occlusion

edema

incompetent valves in the veins compromise venous return to the heart
lower extremities worse at the end of the day
best check at shin

peripheral neuropathy

burning sensation

sciatic nerve pain

intense and sharp

spinal nerve compression

radiation of pain along nerve distribution

spinal neuropathy

AKA degenerative disc disease, pain radiates along dermatome

risk factors for PVD

smoking
HTN, hyperlipidemia
DM
prolonged standing
sedentary lifestyle
obesity

PAD

build up of fatty substances in the wall of the artery

leg pain/cramps differential

PAD
venous insufficiency
neuropathic pain
musculoskeletal

arterial insufficiency

intermittent pain
decreased or absent pulses
pale, cool, absent or mild edema
thin skin, loss of hair over foot/toes
may develop gangrene

venous insufficiency

no pain
normal to difficult to feel pulses
normal or cyanotic color
edema
brown pigmentation around ankles

factors that influence arterial pressure

left ventricular strike volume
elasticity of artery
peripheral vascular resistance
blood volume in arterial system

internal jugular pulsation

non-palpable
soft, bi-phasic
pulsation eliminated by light pressure on vein
height of pulsation changes with position
height of pulsation falls with inspiration

carotid pulsations

palpable
vigorous thrust, single component
height of pulsation unchanged with position
no affected by inspiration

jugular venous pressure

reflects right atrial pressure
best estimated from right jugular vein
helps show volume status
useful in patients on diuretics

bell

sensitive to low pitched sound
S3 and S4
mitral stenosis murmur
press lightly for low pitch

diaphragm

sensitive to higher pitched sounds
S1 and S2
aortic murmurs
mitral regurgitation
pericardial friction rubs
press firmly

S1

closure of mitral valve

S2

closure of aortic valve

systole

interval between S1 and S2

diastole

interval between S2 and S1

S3

heard best in apex with bell
early in diastolic phase
associated with CHF

S4

heard best in apex with bell
late in diastolic phase
associated with CHF, MI, HTN, CAD
not heard with Afib

murmur grades 1-6

very faint
quiet
moderately loud, no thrill
loud with palpable thrill
very loud with thrill
can be heard w/o stethoscope

timing of murmurs

diastolic worse than systolic

mitral regurgitation

harsh 2/6 medium pitched holosystolic murmur heard at the apex

aortic regurgitation

soft, blowing 3/6 decrescendo diastolic murmur heard best at lower left sternal border

schamroth's test

assess for clubbing

carotid doppler studies

used to detect narrowing of the carotid arteries

CXR

tests: cardiac size, pleural effusion, pulmonary congestion, mediastinal configuration, infiltrates

echocardiogram

most useful in evaluation of heart failure
heart failure patient should have at least 1/yr

pulses 0

absent pulse

pulses 1+

diminished/barely palpable

Pulses 2+

expected

Pulses 3+

full/bounding

medications and falls in elderly

xanax
beta blockers

HA red flags

stiff neck and papilledema - meningitis
progressive in symptoms or severity
thunderclap - subarachnoid hemorrhage
new onset > age 50
focal neuro deficits
wakes you up out of sleep w/ weight loss - malignancy

migraines

one sided
pulsing or throbbing
better with darkness or sleep
nausea and/or photophobia

basic neuro exam

mental status
CNs
motor/coordination
sensory system
reflexes

mini mental status exam

orientation
3 object recall
serial 7's
common objects
3 step command
copy shape

CN II

optic

CN I

olfactory

CN III

oculomotor

CN IV

trochlear

CN V

trigeminal

CN VI

abducens

CN VII

facial

CN VIII

vestibularcochulear

CV IX

glossopharyngeal

CN X

vagus

CN XI

accessory

CN XII

hypoglossal

Weber test

tuning fork on top of head
checks symmetry of hearing

Rinne test

assess hearing not feeling of AC and BC
AC>BC normal

conduction loss

AC=BC

coordination 4 systems

motor - muscle
cerebellar - rhythmic movements
vestibular - balance coordination
sensory - position

radiculopathy

no feeling in a specific area

hyperalgesia

hyper sensation

diabetic foot exam

monofilament test, document 6 areas

cortical sensations

tactile recognition/stereognosis
graphesthesia
2-point discrimination
point localization
tactile extinction

dermatomes

area of skin innervated by single nerve root

hyperactive DTR

CNS lesion, low magnesium

hypoactive DTR

spinal nerve roots, plexuses, peripheral nerves, symmetrically diminished or absent can be normal, increase magnesium

DTRs

grade 0-4+
2+ normal

UE reflexes

triceps
biceps
brachioradialis

LE reflexes

patellar
achilles
plantar

meningeal signs

nuchal rigidity - test neck mobility
Kernig's - flex at hip/kee, straighten...pain
Brudzinski's - flex neck...flexion of hip/knee

ancillary testing

CT, MRI, B12 and ENMG

electro nerve mylogram (ENMG)

tests for neuropathy, carpal tunnel