Heart sounds

[tmh]

EK Bio 1001 says that a "trained cardiologist" should be able to hear 4 heart sounds in a "normal individual"? This is wrong, right? Shouldn't a normal individual only have S1 and S2?

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[CodeBlu]

No.

A trained cardiologist can auscultate an S1, and hear subtle splitting of S2.... and S3 and S4 can be heard by a very trained ear. Thing is, you have to know exactly what you're listening for. And thus, only a cardiologist can tease it out.

A joe shmoe like you or I with no cardio training would hear the typical lub dub. s1/s2. Maaaaybe a split S2 on inspiration if it were really prominent.

 

[tmh]

But aren't S3 and S4 abnormal?

 

[CodeBlu]

But aren't S3 and S4 abnormal?

Nope. Not always. They are just rare and hard to appreciate if all you've ever heard is S1 and S2. You have to have someone who knows what they're listening for, tap out the rhythm to you.

S3 + S4 can be either normal or abnormal.

 

[tmh]

Alright thanks

 

[MD Odyssey]

How is any of this MCAT related?

 

[kkentm]

its not lol. although i do remember doing this question a few days ago and being like wtf how am i supposed to know how many heart sounds a trained cardiologist can hear.. oh but then again i think the answer was given in a chart in the passage so i guess the lesson is to remember to read charts

 

[paul411]

the lesson is to remember to read charts

Good lesson.

 

[dmf2682]

I was like you i wanted to hear what it sounded like, nothing beats hearing your own baby tho. I brought a tiny sound recorder like the ones in teddy bears, and recorded my baby on it, my partner is away at war so i recorded it for him, he got it a few days ago and he loved it. I recorded it onto my phone too, so i can listen to it whenever i want.

That's really sweet.

 

[Rotors]

S3 and S4 may be physiologic in patients older than 35 and 40 respectively but pathologic causes must be excluded

I cannot hear the A2/P2 split in S2 to save myself

 

[Medical Muse]

There are 6 different heart sounds (split of S1, split of S2, S3, and S4) you can potentially hear. All but the split S1 can be normal depending on the patient. To be honest, the last time I documented any splitting or S3/S4 was in medical school. You hear a lot more murmurs than other heart sounds.

This site is pretty good for hearing the different sounds:
http://www.wilkes.med.ucla.edu/inex.htm

 

[MedPR]

And to reiterate, none of this is relevant to the MCAT.

 

[chiddler]

year old thread.