What it means
Normal blood flow is quiet. When blood moves through a narrowed or leaky valve, a hole between chambers, or simply fast, it becomes turbulent and makes a murmur. Many murmurs in children are harmless (innocent murmurs). Others point to valve disease or a heart defect. Murmurs are described by timing, where they are loudest, and loudness on a scale of 1 to 6.
For the nurse
Chart a new murmur and report it. Listen in all four valve areas with the diaphragm and bell.
At a glance
| Spanish | soplo cardíaco |
|---|---|
| Also written | heart murmurs |
Related terms
auscultation
Listening to the sounds inside the body, usually with a stethoscope.
tricuspid valve
The heart valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
ventricular septal defect
A hole in the wall between the heart's two lower chambers, present from birth.