A nurse is having difficulty auscultating a patient's heart sounds because the lung sounds are too loud. What does the nurse ask the patient to do to improve hearing the heart sounds?
A) Lie in a supine position.
B) Cough.
C) Hold his or her breath for a few seconds.
D) Sit up and lean forward.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Holding the breath for a few seconds eliminates the noise of breathing long enough to hear several cardiac cycles of heart sounds. The holding of the breath can be repeated if needed to hear the heart sounds again. Lying in a supine position will not reduce the noise of breathing. Coughing may clear some secretions, but when the lung sounds are so noisy that the heart sounds are difficult to hear, coughing is not sufficient to eliminate the noise from respirations. Sitting up and leaning forward brings the heart closer to the thoracic wall, but will not eliminate noise produced by the lungs.

A Nurse Is Having Difficulty Auscultating a Patient's Heart Sounds