While listening to a patient's apical pulse, a nurse identifies that it is difficult to hear both heart sounds. This would be charted as:

Question

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When a nurse identifies that it is difficult to hear both heart sounds while listening to a patient's apical pulse, it would be charted as "heart tones are muffled." This is because muffled heart sounds indicate that the sound waves are not being transmitted well through the chest wall and may indicate a problem with the heart's functioning. Distinct or strong heart tones would indicate the opposite, while absent heart tones would indicate that no sound is heard at all.

While Listening to a Patient's Apical Pulse, a Nurse Identifies