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Heart Sounds & Murmurs
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Techniques: Heart Sounds & Murmurs
Murmurs (general) | Systolic | Diastolic
Murmurs
Cardiac murmurs can be divided into three categories based on where they occur in the cardiac cycle.
Note: Short, quiet systolic murmurs are generally benign. Long systolic murmurs, diastolic murmurs and continuous murmurs are generally pathologic. (Two continuous murmurs that
are benign are mammary soufflé and cervical venous hum.)
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Intensity of Murmur
| Grade 1 |
just audible with a good stethoscope in a quiet room |
| Grade 2 |
quiet but readily audible with a stethoscope |
| Grade 3 |
easily heard with a stethoscope |
| Grade 4 |
a loud, obvious murmur with a palpable thrill |
| Grade 5 |
very loud, heard only over the pericardium but elsewhere in the body |
| Grade 6 |
heard with stethoscope off chest |
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