Which timing classifications are used for heart murmurs?

Which timing classifications are used for heart murmurs?

• A. Continuous
• B. Systolic and diastolic
• C. Concentric and eccentric
• D. Early and late systole

Answer: (B)

Murmurs are categorized by when they occur in the cardiac cycle. The most widely used timing distinction is between those heard during systole and those heard during diastole. This helps clinicians narrow down possible valvular problems because different lesions typically produce murmurs in specific phases of the heartbeat. For example, many regurgitant or stenotic lesions create a murmur that starts with or after S1 and ends before S2 (systolic), whereas others begin after S2 or persist into the next cycle (diastolic). A continuous murmur is heard throughout both systole and diastole, so it doesn’t fit neatly into the simple systolic/diastolic dichotomy, and thus is treated as a separate category. Some murmurs can be described as occurring early or late within systole, but that describes timing within the phase rather than the overall phase classification itself. The key, most general way to classify murmurs by timing is the systolic versus diastolic distinction.

Murmurs are categorized by when they occur in the cardiac cycle. The most widely used timing distinction is between those heard during systole and those heard during diastole. This helps clinicians narrow down possible valvular problems because different lesions typically produce murmurs in specific phases of the heartbeat. For example, many regurgitant or stenotic lesions create a murmur that starts with or after S1 and ends before S2 (systolic), whereas others begin after S2 or persist into the next cycle (diastolic).

A continuous murmur is heard throughout both systole and diastole, so it doesn’t fit neatly into the simple systolic/diastolic dichotomy, and thus is treated as a separate category. Some murmurs can be described as occurring early or late within systole, but that describes timing within the phase rather than the overall phase classification itself. The key, most general way to classify murmurs by timing is the systolic versus diastolic distinction.