Conduct An Assessment Of The Following Body Systems: Heart

Conduct An Assessment On The Following Body Systemsheart The Lungs

Conduct an assessment on the following body systems: Heart & the lungs assessment. You may conduct the assessment on a fellow student, friend, or family member. Remember to secure their permission. Collect both subjective and objective data using the process described in the textbook. Write a summary of the assessment (subjective & objective data in narrative note) and the skills utilized. Answer the following 3 questions in the summary: Do not disclose any patient identifiers. What skills (assessment techniques) were utilized during the assessment? What subjective data did you collect? (list your findings) What objective data did you collect? (list your findings)

Paper For Above instruction

The assessment of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems provides critical data for understanding an individual's health status, especially concerning heart and lung function. Conducting a thorough assessment involves both subjective and objective data collection, employing various assessment techniques designed to elicit comprehensive information about these vital systems. This paper presents a narrative summary of such an assessment conducted on a volunteer, highlighting the skills used and the findings obtained, formulated in accordance with standard nursing practices.

Assessment Techniques Applied

The assessment incorporated several fundamental techniques. First, inspection was employed to observe the chest's symmetry, skin color, and respiratory effort. Palpation was used to evaluate chest expansion and tactile fremitus. Percussion was performed to assess the underlying lung tissue's resonance, helping identify areas of abnormal density or fluid. Auscultation with a stethoscope was crucial to listen to breath sounds, including vesicular, bronchial, and adventitious sounds. For the cardiovascular assessment, palpation of peripheral pulses and assessment of jugular venous distension were performed. auscultation of heart sounds was conducted to identify rate, rhythm, and any murmurs or abnormal sounds.

Subjective Data Collected

• The participant reported no current chest pain or discomfort.
• The individual noted occasional shortness of breath during exertion, especially after climbing stairs.
• Reported episodes of coughing, primarily at night, sometimes productive of a small amount of clear sputum.
• The participant identified a history of mild hypertension, controlled with medication.
• No recent history of fever, chills, or respiratory infections.
• The individual denied any recent weight changes, fatigue, or swelling in the extremities.

Objective Data Collected

• Chest inspection revealed symmetric expansion and no visible deformities.
• Skin tone was normal with no cyanosis or pallor observed.
• Palpation indicated symmetrical tactile fremitus and normal chest expansion.
• Percussion yielded resonance across lung fields without dullness or hyperresonance.
• Auscultation detected clear vesicular breath sounds bilaterally, with no adventitious sounds such as crackles, wheezes, or rubs.
• Peripheral pulses (radial and dorsalis pedis) were 2+ and symmetric.
• Jugular venous pressure was within normal limits with no visible distension.
• Heart rate was regular at 72 beats per minute, with normal S1 and S2 sounds; no murmurs or extra sounds detected.

Conclusion

This assessment illustrates the importance of integrating both subjective and objective data to form a comprehensive understanding of cardiac and respiratory health. The skills employed—inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation—are fundamental to nursing practice and facilitate accurate identification of normal findings and potential abnormalities. The volunteer's presentation was largely within normal limits with some mild findings consistent with exertional dyspnea, possibly related to their overall health status. Ongoing monitoring and patient education about symptom management and lifestyle modifications could be beneficial for this individual.

References

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• Carter, B. (2020). Fundamentals of Nursing: The Heart and Lung Assessment. Nursing Practice Journal.
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• American Heart Association. (2022). Heart and Lung Assessment Guidelines. AHA Publications.
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2023). Respiratory and Cardiac Health Monitoring. NHLBI Reports.