Question

The murmur of mitral valve insufficiency is best described as:

a) Mid-late systole with a "snap."
b) Diastolic and generalized across the precordium.
c) Diastolic with radiation to the neck.
d) Systolic with radiation to the axillae.

Answer 1

The murmur associated with mitral valve insufficiency is best characterized as systolic with radiation to the axillae, indicating abnormal, turbulent blood flow during the heart's contraction phase, which can be detected by auscultation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The murmur of mitral valve insufficiency is best described as d) Systolic with radiation to the axillae. When the mitral valve does not close properly, it results in regurgitation, which causes blood to flow backward within the heart. This produces a heart murmur that can be heard with a stethoscope. Unlike the normal "lub-dub" (S1 and S2) sounds produced by the closing of healthy valves, a murmur denotes some form of abnormal flow.

In the case of mitral insufficiency, the abnormal turbulent flow occurs during systole, the phase when the heart contracts and pumps blood out into the body. As such, the murmur of mitral valve insufficiency is typically heard as a systolic murmur and can radiate towards the axilla (armpit area).