Question

What is a murmur?

a) A rumbling or blowing sound that is made by the heart, often by malfunctioning heart valves.
b) A wheezing sound made by lungs, particularly during pneumonia, that may be superimposed on the heart sounds.
c) A clicking sound made by artificial heart valves, especially when there is a failure in such devices.
d) A low frequency sound heard as venous blood fills the atria of the heart, which is pronounced during heart attacks.

Answer 1

A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound caused by turbulent blood flow, often from faulty heart valves, and can be detected and graded via auscultation.

Step-by-step explanation:

A heart murmur is a sound produced by turbulent blood flow within the heart, commonly due to malfunctions in the heart valves. In a healthy heart, only two main heart sounds, S₁ ("lub") and S₂ ("dub"), are normally heard through auscultation with a stethoscope. The phonocardiogram is a specialized tool used to record heart sounds, including murmurs, which are graded on a scale from 1 to 6, with 6 being the most severe. Other heart sounds, such as S3 and S4, can be indicative of heart conditions like congestive heart failure or a stiff or hypertrophic ventricle.