S3 Heart Sounds Introduction

Introduction

Learn about the S3 heart sound, listen to examples, take short lessons and compare to other heart sounds. For all medical professionals.

Our S3 and S4 heart sound lessons can be found in this course. Secondly, our reference index is designed to provide quick access to stridor sounds, with audio tracks, listening guides and waveforms. Use this link for quick reference to heart and lung sounds.

What is an S3 Heart Sound?

The third heart sound is a short, low frequency sound heard best with the stethoscope's bell. It occurs early in diastole and is dull in quality. As an extra heart sound, it creates a galloping rhythm with a cadence like word 'Kentucky'.

Normal vs S3 Heart Sound

Here we offer a comparison of S3 vs S4 heart sounds.

S3 Heart Sound Gallop

Listen for a short, low frequency sound early in diastole. Try to match the cadence to 'Kentucky'.

The patient's position should be supine.

Waveform

Compare To S4 Heart Sound Gallop

Listen for a cadence like the word 'Tennessee' where the syllable 'Ten' is S4. S4 is usually short and low frequency.

The patient's position should be supine.

Heart Sounds Reference Guide

Our auscultation reference guide provides quick access to this sound as well as many other adventitious sounds. Each sound is described also with an audio recording and waveform.

Heart Sounds Reference Guide

Quick Links to Other Breath Sounds

While we have many breath sound lessons and quick references on this website. Please use the links below.

Vesicular Breath Sounds
Bronchial Breath Sounds
Adventitious Breath Sounds
Adventitious Lung Sounds
Wheezing
Rhonchi
Fine and Coarse Crackles
Rales
Egophony
Auscultate
Auscultation Lung Sounds Audio

Related Lessons

Basics of Lung Sounds
The goal of this basic course in lung sounds is to improve auscultation observational skills. We focus on describing important breath sounds and in providing recordings of each. Many students find that waveform tracings aid in learning lung sounds; we have included dynamic (moving cursor) waveforms with each lesson. The anatomy pages use illustrations to reveal an example of each lung sound (anatomy not yet available on smartphones).

Lesson List

1	Vesicular - Normal
2	Crackles - Fine (Rales)
3	Crackles - Coarse (Rales)
4	Wheeze
5	Rhonchi - Low Pitched Wheezes
6	Bronchial
7	Pleural Rubs
8	Bronchovesicular

Intermediate Lung Sounds
The goal of this intermediate course is to expand your observational skills when auscultating breath sounds. The course lessons include voiced sounds: bronchophony, egophony and whispered pectoriloquy. We also provide auscultation lessons on several types of wheezes, crackles and stridor. Each of these lung sound lessons includes audio, text and dynamic waveform. The anatomy pages use illustrations to reveal an example of each lung sound (anatomy not yet available on smartphones).

Lesson List

1	Vesicular - Diminished
2	Bronchophony - Healthy
3	Bronchophony - Abnormal
4	Egophony - e
5	Egophony - a
6	Whispered Pectoriloquy - Healthy
7	Whispered Pectoriloquy - Abnormal
8	Wheeze - Expiratory
9	Wheeze - Monophonic
10	Wheeze - Polyphonic
11	Crackles - Early Inspiratory (Rales)
12	Crackles - Late Inspiratory (Rales)
13	Stridor