Heart Murmurs
Heart Murmurs - Related Videos
10:51
Cardiac Exam III: Abnormal Heart Sounds
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2023
Source: Suneel Dhand, MD, Attending Physician, Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Having a fundamental understanding of normal heart sounds is the first step toward distinguishing the normal from the abnormal. Murmurs are sounds that represent turbulent and abnormal blood flow across a heart valve. They are caused either by stenosis (valve area too narrow) or regurgitation (backflow of blood across the valve) and are commonly heard as a "swishing" sound during auscultation.
07:27
Implantation of Total Artificial Heart in Congenital Heart Disease
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Cited by 40 •
2014
This is a case report of a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) who received a total artificial heart (TAH) as a bridge to heart transplant. The TAH was successfully implanted with modifications to accommodate the patient's congenitally malformed heart.
07:47
A Novel Ex vivo Culture Method for the Embryonic Mouse Heart
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Cited by 12 •
2013
Developmental studies in the mouse are hampered by the inaccessibility of the embryo during gestation. To promote the long-term culture of the embryonic heart at late stages of gestation, we developed a protocol in which the excised heart is cultured in a semi-solid, dilute Matrigel.
09:48
Heterotopic Cervical Heart Transplantation in Mice
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Cited by 24 •
2015
The cuff technique shortens and facilitates the model of heterotopic cervical heart transplantation in mice by avoiding technically challenging suture anastomoses of small vessels. The technical details shown in this video paper should allow researches to establish this model in their laboratories.
06:51
Recovery of Adult Zebrafish Hearts for High-throughput Applications
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Cited by 16 •
2014
Use of zebrafish for cardiovascular research is expanding towards research on adult hearts. For these applications, quick and simple isolation of cardiac tissues is key to avoid post-mortem changes and to obtain an adequate number of samples. Here, we describe a fast and reproducible method for dissecting adult zebrafish hearts.
FAQs
Timing places the sound within the cardiac cycle, giving clinicians an important clue about its origin. When combined with intensity, pitch, location, and radiation, this information helps distinguish flow associated with a valve from flow related to another structural feature. The pattern does not stand alone, but it guides the next stage of clinical evaluation.
Valve stenosis and regurgitation alter blood flow in different ways. Stenosis narrows the passage through which blood moves, while regurgitation permits blood to flow backward through a valve. These changes can create distinct auscultation findings, which clinicians assess alongside timing, location, pitch, intensity, and radiation when considering a murmur’s likely source.
Radiation describes where the sound is heard beyond its main location, adding information about its likely origin. A murmur’s response to selected maneuvers provides another clue because altered conditions can change blood flow. Interpreting these observations together improves clinical reasoning, helping clinicians determine whether the sound may reflect altered valve flow or a structural opening.
An innocent murmur can occur without damage to the heart, whereas an abnormal murmur may accompany valve stenosis, valve regurgitation, congenital defects, or other changes in blood flow. Auscultation features alone may raise or lower concern, but clinical evaluation is needed to distinguish a benign finding from a condition that requires monitoring or treatment.
Evaluation begins with auscultation during the cardiac cycle. The clinician characterizes timing, intensity, pitch, location, radiation, and response to maneuvers, then considers whether the pattern could reflect normal physiology or cardiovascular disease. When the findings require further clarification, echocardiography can supplement the bedside assessment and help investigate the underlying cardiac structure and flow.
Echocardiography is used to supplement clinical assessment when auscultation does not fully establish whether a murmur is benign or abnormal. It can help evaluate suspected valve stenosis, regurgitation, congenital defects, or other structural explanations for altered blood flow. The resulting information supports decisions about whether a finding needs observation, additional evaluation, or treatment.