During the precordial assessment on an patient who is 8 months pregnant,the nurse palpates the apical impulse at the fourth left intercostal space lateral to the midclavicular line.This finding would indicate:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Palpation of the apical impulse is higher and more lateral compared with the normal position because the enlarging uterus elevates the diaphragm and displaces the heart up and to the left and rotates it on its long axis.

During the Precordial Assessment on an Patient Who Is 8