What it means
A valve with two flaps (leaflets), also called the bicuspid valve. It opens to let oxygen-rich blood flow from the left atriumAY-tree-umOne of the two upper chambers of the heart, which receive blood coming back to the heart.atri/o atrium-um noun endingFull entry into the left ventricleVEN-trih-kulOne of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.Full entry , and closes when the ventricle pumps so blood does not flow back. Mitral stenosis is a stiff, narrowed valve; mitral regurgitationrih-gur-jih-TAY-shunA flowing backward: blood leaking back through a heart valve, or stomach contents coming back up into the mouth.Full entry is a leaky one; in mitral valve prolapse the flaps bulge back into the atrium.
For the nurse
Mitral valve sounds are heard best at the apex of the heart, at the fifth space between the ribs on the left, in line with the middle of the collarbone.
At a glance
| Spanish | válvula mitral |
|---|---|
| Also written | mitral valves, mitral |
Related terms
ventricle
One of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.
atrium
One of the two upper chambers of the heart, which receive blood coming back to the heart.
regurgitation
A flowing backward: blood leaking back through a heart valve, or stomach contents coming back up into the mouth.
myocardium
The thick middle layer of the heart wall, made of heart muscle that contracts to pump blood.