Listening to murmurs

[janehartley]

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When a question says "murmur that is heard best at the left sternal border" or a question on STEP1 asks you to auscultate the 4 areas to listen to where you hear the murmur best, what exactly do they mean?

I know, I know... the area that best accentuates the murmur. But what exactly are you listening for? If you listen for a murmur at the apex, will you still hear it at the L sternal border, just less clearly? Are there any other clues that you listen for to deterine which area the murmur is heard best at?

 

[OveractiveBrain]

When a question says "murmur that is heard best at the left sternal border" or a question on STEP1 asks you to auscultate the 4 areas to listen to where you hear the murmur best, what exactly do they mean?

I know, I know... the area that best accentuates the murmur. But what exactly are you listening for? If you listen for a murmur at the apex, will you still hear it at the L sternal border, just less clearly? Are there any other clues that you listen for to deterine which area the murmur is heard best at?

There is a cartoon of a chest. There will be 4 circles. You will click the area to listen to. If its a mitral murmur it will be heard at the mitral area, and NOT at ANY OF THE OTHER sites. its binary, on, or off. Three sites (three circles) will have normal heart sounds and only the area of interest will have the sound you are supposed to hear.