The nurse is examining a patient who has possible cardiac enlargement. Which statement about percussion of the heart is true?
a. Percussion is a useful tool for outlining the heart's borders.
b. Percussion is easier in patients who are obese.
c. Studies show that percussed cardiac borders do not correlate well with the true cardiac border.
d. Only expert health care providers should attempt percussion of the heart.
ANS: C
Numerous comparison studies have shown that the percussed cardiac border correlates only moderately with the true cardiac border. Percussion is of limited usefulness with the female breast tissue, in a person who is obese, or in a person with a muscular chest wall. Chest x-ray images or echocardiographic examinations are significantly more accurate in detecting heart enlargement.
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