A physical assessment is the first stage of examination and evaluation of a patient that is conducted by a physician. It is critical to obtain the patient’s medical history and complaints in order to establish details about physical factors such as location, duration, and severity of pain or discomfort. Various conditions may present themselves differently based on patient physiology. The first technique is to conduct a visual inspection. It allows to identify any possible abnormalities from a simple observation. Respiratory rate and pulsating neck veins show whether there is cardiovascular pressure. Breathing should be stable since any wheezing or uneven respiratory movement creates motion of the chest muscles that may cause pain. The pulsating movement of the abdomen may reflect possible a possible aortic aneurysm. Furthermore, a physician can choose to use palpation and percussion to determine areas of discomfort on a patient physically. These techniques allow to determine areas of tenderness, assess ventilation, and centralize any point or movement which may indicate chest pain.
Vital signs serve as an indicator of chest pain during a physical assessment. Auscultation is the final step of the chest examination. Heart rate allows to evaluate the condition of the cardiovascular system. For example, elevated or uneven heart rate is an indicator of atrial fibrillation or aortic dissection, both of which are associated with chest pain. Blood pressure can be used to establish whether a patient is experiencing any discomfort (Zafari, 2017). These indicators are usually reflective of visible physical symptoms.
A physical assessment is critical to the management of patients presenting symptoms of chest discomfort. It can be critical to identify high-risk factors for conditions such as myocardial infarction and reduce mortality rates. In other cases, it is helpful towards establishing an accurate diagnosis which leads to the implementation of competent treatment. Physical examinations can be tremendously effective as a diagnostic tool (Al-Maqbali, 2013). Therefore, the techniques and symptoms described above allow a medical professional to carefully evaluate all aspects of the normal functioning of the chest and the cardiovascular muscle which can help to rule out chest pain.
References
Al-Maqbali, M. (2013). Systematically assessing chest pain in cardiac patients. British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, 9(2). Web.
Zafari, M.A. (2017).Myocardial infarction clinical presentation. Web.