Heart Murmurs Flashcards
What is a heart murmur?
A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound which can be indicative of pathology
What are the three main causes of heart murmurs?
Heart murmurs are caused by turbulent flow which can be caused by stenosis, insufficiency or septal defects
What is stenosis of the heart valve?
The abnormal narrowing of the heart valve?
Heart murmurs can be caused by insufficiency. What does this mean?
That blood is flowing backwards through a damaged or leaky heart valve
What is a septal defect?
A hole in the interventricular or interatrial wall which separates the two sides of the heart
Which side of the heart is more likely to be affected by heart murmurs?
The left
What are the three categories of systolic heart murmur?
Ejection murmur - heard at the start if ventricular systole
Late systolic murmurs - audible at the end of systole
Pansystolic murmurs - audible throughout systole
What is the term for listening to the heart sounds with a stethoscope?
Auscultation
Which modality of imaging is commonly used to investigate heart murmurs?
Ultrasound in an echocardiogram
What are some of the common causes if aortic stenosis?
Inflammatory damage to valve leaflets
Congenital malformations
Degenerative thickenings
Calcification of the valve leaflets
What kind of murmur typically results from a aortic stenosis?
Ejection murmur
What kind of murmur would be heard from mitral stenosis?
A low rumbling sound during mid to late diastole
Which conditions can cause aortic valve incompetence?
Hypertension
Marfans syndrome
Atherosclerosis
What kind of sound will be heard with a aortic valve incompetence and in which part of the cardiac cycle will this be heard?
A blowing sound during diastole
What kind of murmur results from mitral valve incompetence?
Pansystolic murmur
