Your cart is currently empty!
Auscultation of the heart involves listening to heart sounds at specific locations on the chest to identify murmurs associated with various cardiac conditions. The primary auscultation sites are the Aortic, Pulmonic, Tricuspid, and Mitral areas (APT M).
Location | Corresponding Valve |
---|---|
A (Aortic) | Aortic valve |
P (Pulmonic) | Pulmonic valve |
T (Tricuspid) | Tricuspid valve |
M (Mitral) | Mitral valve |
Different physical maneuvers can alter preload, afterload, or venous return, affecting murmurs in diagnostic evaluation.
Maneuver | Physiological Effect | Murmurs That Increase | Murmurs That Decrease |
Standing/Valsalva (strain phase) | ↓ Preload (↓ LV volume) | MVP, HCM | Most murmurs (↓ flow through stenotic/regurgitant valves) |
Passive leg raise | ↑ Preload (↑ LV volume) | Most murmurs (↑ flow through stenotic/regurgitant valves) | MVP (↑ LV volume) |
Squatting | ↑ Preload, ↑ Afterload (↑ LV volume) | Most murmurs (↑ flow through stenotic/regurgitant valves) | HCM (↑ LV volume) |
Hand grip | ↑ Afterload | MR, AR, VSD | AS, HCM |
Inspiration | ↑ Venous return to right heart, ↓ Venous return to left heart | Most right-sided murmurs | Most left-sided murmurs |