Overview:

Cardiac auscultation provides information about the rate and rhythm of the heart, valve functioning and possible anatomical defects. It requires knowledge of what heart sounds are normal and a methodical approach with careful attention to the sounds produced during the cardiac cycle.

This program provides nurses and other healthcare professionals with a thorough understanding of the various normal heart sounds and examples of these sounds to provide a basis for differentiating normal and abnormal sounds.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Explain what produces the S1 sound
• Identify the normal S1 sound and understand the various factors that can affect the S1 sound
• Describe what produces the S2 sound
• Identify the normal S2 sound and understand the various factors that can affect the S2 sound
• Explain what produces the S3 and S4 sounds
• Identify the normal S3 and S4 sounds and understand the various factors that can affect the S3 and S4 sounds
• Describe why and how the main extra heart sounds occur
• Identify various extra heart sounds