Heart Sounds

Question 1

Where are the 4 designated ausculatory area for listening to heart sounds?

Answer 1

Aortic Area: 2nd IC space at R sternal border
Pulmonic Area: 2nd IC space at L sternal border
Mitral Area: 5th IC space, medial L of midclavicular line
Tricuspid Area: 4th IC space at L sternal border

Question 2

What does the S1 heart sound correspond with?

Answer 2

The “lub” sound
-corresponds to closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves at the onset of ventricular systole

it is a high frequency sound with lower pitch and longer duration than S2

Question 3

What does the S2 heart sound correspond with?

Answer 3

The “dub” sound
-corresponds with closure of the aortic and pulmonary valves at the onset of ventricular diastole

it is a high frequency sounds with higher pitch and shorter duration than S1

Question 4

What does the S3 heart sound correspond with?

Answer 4

-corresponds with vibrations of the distended ventricle walls due to passive flow of blood from the atria during the rapid filling phase of diastole

normal in healthy young children but abnormal in adults and may be associated with heart failure

Question 5

What does the S4 heart sound correspond with?

Answer 5

a pathologic sound of vibration of the ventricular wall with ventricular filling and atrial contraction

may be associated with HTN, stenosis, hypertensive heart disease or myocardial infarction

Question 6

What is an “atrial gallop” and how is it different from a “ventricular gallop”?

Answer 6

Atrial gallop is another name for the pathologic S4 heart sound

Ventricular gallop is another name for the S3 heart sound which should be absent in adults

Question 7

What is a heart murmur and how does it usually sound during ausculation?

Answer 7

murmurs are vibrations of longer duration than the heart sounds and are often due to disruption of blood flow past a stenotic or regurgitant valve

sounds are variably described as soft, blowing, or swishing sounds

Question 8

What is regurgitation in the heart?

Answer 8

When a valve fails to close tightly and blood flows backwards into the atria during ventricular systole

Question 9

What is a stenotic heart valve?

Answer 9

a valve that has become thickened and restricts forward blood flow