Heart Murmur Page

Overview

This page provides an overview of the numerous heart murmur sounds and lessons that are available on this website.

Heart Murmur Lessons

We provide over 100 heart murmur sounds. In addition to audio recordings, our lessons include text, audio, dynamic waveforms and animated heart valve videos. Use the links below to directly access courses that include heart murmurs sounds.

Systolic Murmurs

Diastolic Murmurs

Complex Conditions

Congenital Abnormalities

Cardiac Conditions Associated with Sudden Death

Auscultation in Primary Care

Heart Murmur Timing

When listening to heart murmur sounds, note the timing within a cardiac cycle. Systolic murmurs are heard between S1 (first heart sound) and S2 (second heart sound). Diastolic murmurs occur between S2 and S1. Murmurs can occur within systole or diastole and terms such as early systolic, mid-systolic or late systolic are used in our lessons.

Auscultation Locations for Heart Murmur Sounds

The illustration provides a reference to auscultation positions which are used throughout our courses.

heart murmur sounds auscultation location areas

	Aortic Valve Area		Second right intercostal space (ICS), right sternal border
	Pulmonic Valve Area		Second left intercostal space (ICS), left sternal border
	Erb's Point		Third left ICS, left sternal border
	Tricuspid Valve Area		Fourth left ICS, left sternal border
	Mitral Valve Area		Fifth ICS, left mid-clavicular line

Heart Murmur Duration

Heart murmur sound duration refers to the portion of systole or diastole that the murmur occupies. Murmurs lasting throughout systole are referred to as pansystolic or holosystolic.

Murmur Pitch

Evaluation of the murmur's pitch should be made by classifying the pitch (frequency) as low, medium or high. The stethoscope's bell can be helpful with low pitched sounds while the diaphragm is used for medium or high pitched sounds.

Heart Murmur Shape

Heart murmur sounds can be described by increasing or decreasing intensity. Increasing intensity is termed crescendo and decreasing intensity is called decrescendo. Crescendo-decrescendo describes sounds that increase then immediate decrease in intensity. This is also termed diamond shaped. Rectangular heart murmurs are of constant intensity.

Heart Murmur Tone

Heart murmur sounds may have musical qualities that may be called harsh, musical, sharp, dull, blowing or booming.