Question

You are auscultating your patient's chest, and you notice that the S2 sound seems to be split, meaning that you can hear two separate sounds. You can also hear a noticeable murmur during. Is the abnormality in the atrioventricular valves or the semilunar valves? How do you know? Explain.

A) Option A: The abnormality is in the atrioventricular valves because the S2 sound is related to the closure of the semilunar valves.
B) Option B: The abnormality is in the semilunar valves because the S2 sound is related to the closure of the atrioventricular valves.
C) Option C: The abnormality is in both the atrioventricular valves and the semilunar valves because the S2 sound is related to both valve closures.
D) Option D: The abnormality is in neither the atrioventricular valves nor the semilunar valves because the S2 sound indicates a normal heart function.

Answer 1

The abnormality is likely in the semilunar valves because the S2 heart sound, which is characteristically a 'dub', is associated with their closure. A split S2 and a murmur suggests pathology in these valves, such as aortic stenosis or pulmonary hypertension.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you are auscultating your patient's chest and notice that the S2 sound is split and accompanied by a murmur, this indicates that there may be an abnormality in the semilunar valves. The S2 sound, described as a "dub," is produced by the closing of the semilunar valves during ventricular diastole. The semilunar valves consist of the aortic and pulmonary valves. The presence of a split S2 and a murmur can suggest various conditions such as aortic stenosis or pulmonary hypertension which directly involve the semilunar valves.

The atrioventricular valves, which include the mitral and tricuspid valves, are related to the S1 sound, described as a "lub," and are not implicated in the S2 split sound. Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: The abnormality is in the semilunar valves because the S2 sound is related to the closure of the semilunar valves.