Heart Sounds Tutorial

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Basics
3. Murmurs
   1. Benign murmurs
   2. Murmurs II
   3. Aortic Stenosis
   4. Mitral Regurgitation
   5. Aortic Regurgitation
   6. Mitral Stenosis
   7. Tricuspid Valve
   8. Pulmonic Valve
   9. Ventricular Septal Defect
   10. Patent Ductus Arteriosus
   11. Atrial Septal Defect
   12. Coarctation of the Aorta
   13. Mitral Valve Prolapse
4. Extracardiac Sounds
5. MCQ
6. Acknowledgements and References

Murmurs II

Murmurs can be Systolic or Diastolic and this is very important in distinguishing them, systolic murmurs are generally easier to hear.

At each valve there can be Stenosis or Regurgitation

Stenosis is when the valve fails to open properly so the blood is forced through a narrowed opening causing a murmur.

Regurgitation (a.k.a. insufficiency) is where the valve fails to stop blood from rushing backwards through it when it should be closed.

Systolic Murmurs

In adults the two main systolic murmurs are Aortic Stenosis (AS) and Mitral Regurgitation (MR). It is important to be able to distinguish these two, which will be covered in the next couple of pages