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NSG 3160 Health Assessment Exam 3 2026/2027 Questions and Correct Answers with Rationale | Newest Update | Galen College of Nursing

HEAL100 Health Care — exam and revision material · Other

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Health Care exam material, 10 pages. Originally published on StudyMerit.

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10
Academic year
2025/2026
Language
English

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NSG 3160 – Health Assessment Exam 3 Peripheral Vascular, Breast, and Respiratory Systems This briefing document summarizes key information regarding the assessment and function of the cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, breast, and respiratory systems, drawing from the provided sources. I. Cardiovascular System (Unit 6) The cardiovascular system is responsible for circulating oxygenated blood to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs. A thorough assessment involves understanding blood flow, heart anatomy, sounds, and recognizing signs and symptoms of dysfunction.  Blood Flow Through the Heart: The process is a continuous loop:  Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium via the superior and inferior vena cava .  Flows through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle .  Pumped through the pulmonary valve to the pulmonary artery , which carries it to the lungs for oxygenation.  Oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium via the pulmonary vein .  Flows through the mitral valve to the left ventricle .  Pumped through the aortic valve into the aorta for systemic circulation.  Heart Valves: Valves ensure unidirectional blood flow.  Atrioventricular (AV) Valves: Tricuspid (right) and Mitral (left). They separate the atria from the ventricles. AV valves open during diastole and close during systole.  Semilunar (SL) Valves: Pulmonic (right) and Aortic (left). They lead from the ventricles to the pulmonary artery and aorta, respectively. SL valves open during systole to eject blood from the heart.  Cardiac Cycle: The rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the heart.  Systole: Heart contracts, pushing blood out.  Diastole: Heart relaxes, filling with blood. Downloaded by Studymerit Dotcom (samuelkaruiki40@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|6879242

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 Heart Sounds: Normal heart sounds are "lub-dub" (S1 and S2).  S1: "Lub" - Occurs with the closure of the AV valves , marking the beginning of systole. Best heard at the apex.  S2: "Dub" - Occurs with the closure of the semilunar valves , marking the end of systole. Best heard at the base.  Layers of the Heart Wall: From outer to inner: o Pericardium: Fibrous sac surrounding the heart. o Epicardium: Outermost layer. o Myocardium: Muscular layer responsible for contraction. o Endocardium: Innermost layer.  Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease:  Genetics, race, gender (African Americans have higher incidence and mortality from hypertension; women tend to have smaller blood vessels and atypical symptoms).  Lifestyle choices: Smoking (causes vasoconstriction), poor diet (high cholesterol), sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption.  Comorbidities: Hypertension, high cholesterol (LDL contributes to plaque buildup), obesity (increases tissue perfusion demands), diabetes (damages blood vessel linings).  Pregnancy increases cardiovascular risk in women.  Subjective Data Assessment (OLDCARTS): Essential for evaluating chest pain, dyspnea, cough, fatigue, cyanosis, pallor, edema, and nocturia.  Chest Pain: Less likely cardiac-related if it changes with breathing/position, is reproducible by palpation, or unrelated to exertion. "So it is less likely that your chest pain is cardiac related if the pain happens with breathing."  Dyspnea: Shortness of breath.  Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea: Waking up gasping for breath due to fluid backup in lungs when lying flat. "Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is when you Downloaded by Studymerit Dotcom (samuelkaruiki40@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|6879242

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wake up in the middle of the night gasping for breath because fluid backed up in your lungs while you were lying flat."  Orthopnea: Difficulty breathing when lying flat, assessed by number of pillows used for sleep. "Orthopnea is technically a whenever you have trouble breathing lying flat."  Fatigue: Can indicate inadequate tissue perfusion from heart failure.  Edema: Swelling, especially in extremities. Bilateral edema is often cardiac- related (heart failure), while unilateral may be local (clot, lymphedema).  Nocturia: Frequent nighttime urination, can be a symptom of heart failure.  Objective Data Assessment:  Carotid Artery: Palpate gently, one side at a time, to avoid bradycardia. Auscultate for bruits (soft, pulsatile, whooshing sound indicating turbulent blood flow, often due to plaque buildup) at the jaw angle, mid-cervical area, and base of the neck.  Jugular Vein: Inspect for jugular vein distension (JVD) with the head of bed elevated 30-45 degrees, which can indicate heart failure or fluid retention. Assess jugular venous pulse using the angle of Louis.  Precordium (Anterior Chest): Inspect for symmetry. Palpate for a thrill (palpable purring sensation indicating turbulent blood flow) or a lift/heave (lifting sensation from ventricular thrusting).  Auscultation of the Precordium: Listen at specific valve areas:  Aortic Valve: 2nd right intercostal space (ICS).  Pulmonic Valve: 2nd left ICS.  Erb's Point: 3rd left ICS (good for hearing murmurs).  Tricuspid Valve: 4th left ICS at the sternal border.  Mitral Valve: 5th left ICS at the midclavicular line (apex).  Abnormal Findings:  Murmur: Soft whooshing sound in the heart, indicating something is wrong with the heart valves. Can be graded from 1 (very quiet) to 6 (loudest, heard with stethoscope hovering). Grades 4-6 are often associated with a thrill. Downloaded by Studymerit Dotcom (samuelkaruiki40@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|6879242

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