Heart Examination
Heart Examination - Related Videos
20:06
The Comprehensive Infant Examination
0 Views •
2023
Source: Heather Collette and Jaideep Talwalkar; Yale School of Medicine The newborn exam is important in establishing a baby's baseline health status as they enter the world. Newborn providers have the unique opportunity to evaluate a patient for the very first time. They are also tasked with identifying congenital anomalies that require early intervention to promote a long and healthy life for the child. Many newborn anomalies, such as heart defects, are noted on prenatal ultrasound. However,...
07:27
Implantation of Total Artificial Heart in Congenital Heart Disease
0 Views •
Cited by 40 •
2014
This is a case report of a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) who received a total artificial heart (TAH) as a bridge to heart transplant. The TAH was successfully implanted with modifications to accommodate the patient's congenitally malformed heart.
07:47
A Novel Ex vivo Culture Method for the Embryonic Mouse Heart
0 Views •
Cited by 12 •
2013
Developmental studies in the mouse are hampered by the inaccessibility of the embryo during gestation. To promote the long-term culture of the embryonic heart at late stages of gestation, we developed a protocol in which the excised heart is cultured in a semi-solid, dilute Matrigel.
07:44
Ophthalmoscopic Examination
0 Views •
2023
Source: Richard Glickman-Simon, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, MA The simplest ophthalmoscopes consist of an aperture to look through, a diopter indicator, and a disc for selecting lenses. The ophthalmoscope is primarily used to examine the fundus, or the inner wall of the posterior eye, which consists of the choroid, retina, fovea, macula, optic disc, and retinal vessels (Figure 1). The spherical eyeball...
09:48
Heterotopic Cervical Heart Transplantation in Mice
0 Views •
Cited by 24 •
2015
The cuff technique shortens and facilitates the model of heterotopic cervical heart transplantation in mice by avoiding technically challenging suture anastomoses of small vessels. The technical details shown in this video paper should allow researches to establish this model in their laboratories.
FAQs
Pulse quality and venous findings provide complementary clues about cardiovascular status. Changes in arterial pulse can point toward altered cardiac performance, while venous abnormalities may indicate congestion. Interpreting these observations alongside the precordial impulse, heart sounds, and rhythm helps clinicians decide whether the pattern is more consistent with structural disease, heart failure, or another cardiac problem.
An abnormal heart sound or murmur is not interpreted in isolation. Its significance increases when it occurs with a displaced impulse, an irregular rhythm, altered pulse quality, or other evidence of congestion. This combined pattern can strengthen suspicion of valvular disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, or congenital abnormality and helps shape the differential diagnosis.
Assessing rhythm together with heart sounds links timing and mechanical findings during the encounter. An irregular rhythm may indicate an arrhythmia, whereas unusual sounds or murmurs may raise concern for valvular or structural disease. Considering both domains prevents reliance on one isolated finding and supports a more focused decision about further evaluation.
During a Heart Examination, clinicians assess the precordium and evaluate arterial and venous pulses while integrating inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. They note the cardiac impulse, heart sounds, murmurs, rhythm, and signs of congestion. Recording these elements systematically makes normal and abnormal patterns easier to compare during clinical assessment.
Further testing becomes relevant when bedside findings suggest a cardiac abnormality or do not provide enough information to explain the clinical picture. The examination can guide selection of electrocardiography or echocardiography as part of targeted diagnostic evaluation. This connects observations such as rhythm changes, abnormal sounds, or displaced impulses with appropriate next steps.
Heart Examination is also useful for monitoring change over time. Reassessment can show whether pulse quality, rhythm, heart sounds, the precordial impulse, or evidence of congestion has remained stable or changed. In clinical care, these trends help clinicians recognize evolving cardiac disease and support decisions about whether further evaluation is needed.