Final answer:
The anticipated finding for a new female patient with an innocent heart murmur is a soft systolic murmur that disappears when in a standing position (option b), consistent with the characteristic presentation of such murmurs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The patient with a long-standing history of an “innocent” heart murmur likely exhibits normal heart sounds with a soft systolic murmur. The anticipated finding, considering the murmur's benign characteristic, would most typically be a soft systolic murmur that disappears when in a standing position (b). This is because innocent murmurs, such as a Still's murmur, often become less audible or disappear when the patient's posture changes from supine to standing due to the reduced volume of blood returning to the heart. Innocent murmurs generally do not have the quality of a harsh late systolic snap (a), are not typically diastolic or best heard at the base of the heart (c), nor are they high-pitched and synchronous with the carotid pulse (d), which might suggest a more significant underlying cardiac issue.
Murmurs are graded on a scale of 1 to 6, based on their intensity. An innocent murmur would typically be a lower grade. Heart sounds, known as “lub-dub,” are associated with the closing of the atrioventricular and semilunar valves, respectively (S₁ and S₂ sounds). Murmurs arise from turbulent blood flow through the heart, which can be detected via auscultation and recorded with devices like phonocardiograms or auscultograms using specialized electronic stethoscopes.