Cardiovascular Examination

Aortic, Pulmonary, Tricuspid, Mitral

A mnemonic for the four cardiac auscultation areas in order.

Fifth intercostal space in the mid-clavicular line

A memory aid for where the apex beat is normally felt.

Hypotension, raised jugular venous pressure, muffled heart sounds

A mnemonic for the three signs of cardiac tamponade.

Cuff size, position, rate of deflation and repetition

A memory aid for measuring blood pressure accurately and its pitfalls.

Hands, pulse, face, neck, praecordium, then back and legs

A memory aid for the order of a cardiovascular examination.

S1 atrioventricular valves close, S2 semilunar valves close, S3 rapid filling, S4 atrial contraction

A memory aid for what produces each of the four heart sounds.

a, c and v waves with x and y descents

A memory aid for the waves and descents of the jugular venous pulse.

Phase 1 gives systolic pressure and phase 5 gives diastolic

A memory aid for the five phases of the Korotkoff sounds.

SCRIPT: Site, Character, Radiation, Intensity, Pitch, Timing

A mnemonic for describing a heart murmur completely.

Systolic murmurs come from stenotic outflow or leaking inflow valves, and diastolic murmurs the reverse

A mnemonic for the causes of systolic and diastolic murmurs.

Inspect, feel the pulses, then Buerger's test and the pressure index

A memory aid for examining the arterial supply to the legs.

Janeway lesions, Osler nodes, Roth spots, splinter haemorrhages and clubbing

A mnemonic for the peripheral stigmata of endocarditis.

Slow rising in aortic stenosis, collapsing in aortic regurgitation

A memory aid for the abnormal arterial pulse waveforms.

Normal splitting widens on inspiration; wide, fixed and reversed splitting are abnormal

A memory aid for the patterns of S2 splitting and their causes.

Examine standing, then locate the site of reflux

A memory aid for examining varicose veins and locating the incompetence.