NURS 487 Week 1 Exam Questions with Verified Solutions Latest Update 2025-2026
Order of cardiac assessment - Answers IPAP: Inspect, Palpate, Auscultate, Percuss
Objective data in a cardiac assessment - Answers BP (both arms), neck vessels (JVD), pulse
(apical, radial, extremities both sides), precordium (heart sounds)
Where are the points to listen during auscultation in a cardiac assessment - Answers Pulmonic
valve (2 intercostal, pt left), Aortic valce (2 intercostal, pt right), mitral valve (5 intercostal nipple
line), tricuspid valve (5 intercostal pt slight left of sternum), erbs point
When to use the bell during cardiac auscultation - Answers Only to hear low pitched sounds not
heard with diaphragm. Minimal pressure
Where and when is S1 heard - Answers Heard with closure of tricuspid and mitral valves.
Beginning of systole.
Where and when is S2 heard - Answers Heard with closure of pulmonic and aortic valves.
Beginning of diastole.
What is S2 split - Answers When aortic valve closes significantly earlier than pulmonic valve.
Two separate sounds.
What is S3 - sound, cause, when - Answers Low intense vibrations caused by ventricular filling.
Ventricles resistant to filling usually due to high fluid state, associated with left ventricular
failure. Immediately after S2.
What is S4 - sound, cause, when - Answers Low frequency vibrations caused by atrial
contraction. Associated with coronary artery disease and systolic overload, outflow obstruction
to ventricle. Just before S1
How are murmurs assessed (3) - Answers Loudness (six grades), timing (diastole or systole),
pitch (low, medium, high)
What is Cardiac Output - Answers CO = HR x SV
The amount of blood pumped by each ventricle per minute
4 things influencing CO within one person (not demographic differences) - Answers Heart rate,
preload, afterload, contractility
What is chronotropy - Answers The body's ability to control the HR
HR - normal, tachycardia, bradycardia - Answers Normal - 60-100bpm
Tachycardic - >100 bpm
Order of cardiac assessment - Answers IPAP: Inspect, Palpate, Auscultate, Percuss
Objective data in a cardiac assessment - Answers BP (both arms), neck vessels (JVD), pulse
(apical, radial, extremities both sides), precordium (heart sounds)
Where are the points to listen during auscultation in a cardiac assessment - Answers Pulmonic
valve (2 intercostal, pt left), Aortic valce (2 intercostal, pt right), mitral valve (5 intercostal nipple
line), tricuspid valve (5 intercostal pt slight left of sternum), erbs point
When to use the bell during cardiac auscultation - Answers Only to hear low pitched sounds not
heard with diaphragm. Minimal pressure
Where and when is S1 heard - Answers Heard with closure of tricuspid and mitral valves.
Beginning of systole.
Where and when is S2 heard - Answers Heard with closure of pulmonic and aortic valves.
Beginning of diastole.
What is S2 split - Answers When aortic valve closes significantly earlier than pulmonic valve.
Two separate sounds.
What is S3 - sound, cause, when - Answers Low intense vibrations caused by ventricular filling.
Ventricles resistant to filling usually due to high fluid state, associated with left ventricular
failure. Immediately after S2.
What is S4 - sound, cause, when - Answers Low frequency vibrations caused by atrial
contraction. Associated with coronary artery disease and systolic overload, outflow obstruction
to ventricle. Just before S1
How are murmurs assessed (3) - Answers Loudness (six grades), timing (diastole or systole),
pitch (low, medium, high)
What is Cardiac Output - Answers CO = HR x SV
The amount of blood pumped by each ventricle per minute
4 things influencing CO within one person (not demographic differences) - Answers Heart rate,
preload, afterload, contractility
What is chronotropy - Answers The body's ability to control the HR
HR - normal, tachycardia, bradycardia - Answers Normal - 60-100bpm
Tachycardic - >100 bpm
