Midsystolic murmurs — also known as systolic ejection murmurs, or SEM — include the murmurs of aortic stenosis, pulmonic stenosis, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and atrial septal defects. A ...

The S3 heart sound occurs as the mitral valve opens and allows blood to fill the left ventricle passively. The sound happens as a result of blood striking the left ventricle during early diastole. An ...

My rationale for beginning at the mitral area is to compare the auscultatory findings with those previously obtained by percussion and palpation (see Nonauscultatory Cardiac Exam: Assessing the ...

How is the S1 and S2 heart sound best auscultated? Both the S1 and the S2 heart sounds are best heard using the diaphragm of the stethoscope since they are high pitched. The S1 heart sound is best ...

Editor's Note: Before reading this article, it is recommended that readers first review "Nonauscultatory Cardiac Exam: Assessing the Elderly Person," previously published on Medscape. As with most ...