What Can Auscultation of the Heart Tell Us About Diagnosis, Prognosis and Therapeutic Effects?

Abstract

Auscultation of the heart has become increasingly important with the success of cardiac operations and our increased knowledge of mechanisms of producing sound. A comparison of heart sounds with the electrocardiographically timed record of high-frequency and low-frequency sounds increases the accuracy of bedside or office diagnoses.

The discrete heart sounds rather than murmurs are now emphasized. Auscultation can establish the nature of an arrhythmia before electrocardiograms are made, aid in evaluating myocardial and pericardial disease and valvular lesions, and help in determining the effectiveness of therapy.