Heart sounds are muffled. What are heart sounds. Changes in heart sounds

Lecture number 10.

Auscultation of the heart. Heart sounds in norm and pathology.

Listening (auscultation) of sound phenomena formed during the work of the heart is usually performed using a stethophonendoscope. This method has a great advantage over direct listening, since it makes it possible to clearly localize various sounds and, thanks to this, determine places from the formation.

Listening to the patient should be carried out in a warm room and with a warm instrument. When working in a cold room or with a cold tool, the patient develops muscle tremors. In this case, a lot of side sounds arise, which greatly complicate the assessment of the auscultatory picture. Listening to the patient is carried out with his calm breathing. However, in many situations, when the doctor picks up weak sound phenomena, he asks the patient to hold his breath in the phase of maximum exhalation. At the same time, the volume of the air-containing lungs around the heart decreases, the respiratory noises that occur in the lungs disappear, and the sound picture of the beating heart is perceived more easily.

In what position of the body should the patient be listened to? It all depends on the auscultatory picture and the patient's condition. Usually, auscultation is carried out in the vertical position of the patient's body (standing, sitting) or lying on his back. However, many sound phenomena, such as a pericardial friction rub, are better heard when the patient is tilted forward or in a position on the left side, when the heart is closer to the anterior chest wall. If necessary, auscultation is carried out with a deep breath with straining (Valsalva test). In many cases, cardiac auscultation is repeated after physical exertion. For this, the patient is asked to sit or lie down, do 10-15 sit-ups, etc.

Along with listening to the sound phenomena that occur during the work of the heart, the phonocardiography technique is now widely used. Phonocardiography is a graphic recording on a paper tape of sound phenomena that occur during the work of the heart, perceived by a sensitive microphone. Sound phenomena are depicted as oscillations of various amplitudes and frequencies. Simultaneously with the recording of sound phenomena, an electrocardiogram is recorded in one standard lead, usually in the second. This is necessary to determine in which phase of cardiac activity the recorded sound occurs. Currently, phonocardiography involves recording sounds in 3 to 5 different sound frequency ranges. It allows you to document not only the very fact of the presence of a particular sound, but also its frequency, shape, amplitude (loudness). With the undoubted diagnostic value of the technique, it should be taken into account that the sound picture perceived by ear sometimes turns out to be more informative than the graphically recorded one. In some situations, during phonocardiography, the sound energy is distributed over 3-5 recorded channels and is encrypted as background, while a clear, diagnostically significant sound picture is determined by ear. Therefore, phonocardiography, of course, should be attributed to a valuable, but additional research method.

When listening to the heart, tones and noises are distinguished. According to scientific terminology, those sound phenomena that are commonly called tones do not deserve this name, because. they, like heart murmurs, are produced by irregular, aperiodic sound vibrations (the intervals between vibrations of each tone are not equal). In this sense, even many heart murmurs (the so-called musical ones) are much closer to real tones.

Normally, physiologically, 2 tones are heard over the heart. Of these, in time, the 1st corresponds to the beginning of ventricular systole - the period of closed valves. It is called the systolic tone. The second corresponds in time to the very beginning of the diastole of the heart and is called diastolic.

Origin of the first tone complex. The formation of 1 heart sound begins at the very beginning of the systole of the heart. As you know, it begins with atrial systole, pushing the blood remaining in them into the ventricles of the heart. This component is 1 tone, atrial, quiet, low-amplitude on the phonocardiogram, short. If our ear could perceive separately sounds very close to each other, we would listen to a separate weak atrial tone and a stronger tone, which is formed in the phase of ventricular systole. But under physiological conditions, we perceive the atrial component of the 1st tone together with the ventricular one. In pathological conditions, when the time of atrial and ventricular systole are spaced more than usual, we listen to the atrial and ventricular components of the 1st tone separately.

In the phase of asynchronous contraction of the heart, the process of excitation of the ventricles, the pressure in which is still close to "0", the process of contraction of the ventricles covers all myocardial fibers and the pressure in them begins to increase rapidly. At this time, a long-term ventricular or muscle component of tone 1. The ventricles of the heart at this moment of the systole of the heart are 2 completely closed bags, the walls of which are tensed around the blood they contain and, due to this, come into oscillation. All parts of the walls vibrate, and they all give tone. From this it is clear that the complete closure of the ventricles of the heart from all sides is the main condition for the formation of the first tone.

The main loudness component of the 1st tone falls at the moment when the two- and three-leaf valves of the heart slam shut. These valves have closed, but the semilunar valves have not yet opened. The tone of that part of the walls that is most capable of oscillating, namely the tone of thin elastic flap valves, valve component 1 tone, will be dominant in volume. With significant valve insufficiency, the tone of the corresponding ventricle will completely disappear by ear.

The first tone is not only conducted from the ventricles and cuspid valves, but also occurs due to sudden tension and vibration of the walls of the aorta and pulmonary artery when the blood of their ventricles enters them. This component of 1 tone is called vascular. Since this occurs already in the phase of the beginning of emptying of the ventricles, the first tone also captures the period of the beginning of the expulsion of blood from the ventricles.

So, 1 heart sound consists of 4 components - atrial, muscular, valvular and vascular.

The period of expulsion of blood from the ventricles of the heart consists of two phases - fast and slow expulsion of blood. At the end of the slow ejection phase, the ventricular myocardium begins to relax, and its diastole begins. The blood pressure in the ventricles of the heart decreases, and blood from the aorta and from the pulmonary artery rushes back into the ventricles of the heart. It closes the semilunar valves and arises second or diastolic heart sound. The first tone is separated from the second tone by a small pause, with an average duration of about 0.2 seconds. The second tone has two components, or two constituents. The main loudness is valve the component formed by the vibrations of the semilunar valve cusps. After the slamming of the semilunar valves, the blood rushes into the arteries of the systemic and pulmonary circulation. The pressure in the aorta and pulmonary trunk gradually decreases. All pressure drops and blood movement in the aorta and pulmonary artery are accompanied by vibrations of their walls, forming a second, less loud, component of the 2nd tone - vascular component.

The time from the onset of ventricular relaxation to the closing of the semilunar valves is called proto-diastolic period equal to 0.04 seconds. The blood pressure in the ventricles at this time drops to zero. The flap valves are still closed at this time, the volume of blood remaining in the ventricles, the length of the myocardial fibers have not yet changed. This period is called a period of isometric relaxation equal to 0.08 seconds. By its end, the cavities of the ventricles of the heart begin to expand, the pressure in them becomes negative, lower than in the atria. The cusp valves open, and blood begins to flow from the atria into the ventricles of the heart. Begins period of filling of the ventricles with blood, lasting 0.25 seconds. This period is divided into 2 phases of fast (0.08 seconds) and slow (0.17 seconds) filling of the ventricles with blood.

At the beginning of the rapid flow of blood into the ventricles, due to the impact of the incoming blood on their walls, third heart sound. It is deaf, best heard over the apex of the heart in the position of the patient on the left side and follows at the beginning of diastole approximately 0.18 seconds after 2 tones.

At the end of the phase of slow filling of the ventricles with blood, in the so-called presystolic period, lasting 0.1 seconds, atrial systole begins. Vibrations of the walls of the heart, caused by atrial systole and additional flow into the ventricles of blood pushed out of the atria, lead to the appearance fourth heart sound. Normally, a low-amplitude and low-frequency 4th tone is never heard, but can be determined on FCG in individuals with bradycardia. In pathology, it becomes high, high-amplitude, and with tachycardia forms a gallop rhythm.

With normal listening to the heart, only 1 and 2 heart sounds are clearly audible. 3 and 4 tones are normally not audible. This is due to the fact that in a healthy heart, the blood entering the ventricles at the beginning of diastole does not cause sufficiently loud sound phenomena, and tone 4 is actually the initial component of tone 1 and is perceived inseparably from tone 1. The appearance of 3 tones can be associated both with pathological changes in the heart muscle, and without pathology of the heart itself. Physiological 3 tone is heard more often in children and adolescents. In people over 30 years of age, the 3rd tone is usually not heard due to a decrease in the elasticity of their heart. It appears in those cases when the tone of the heart muscle decreases, for example, with myocarditis, and the blood entering the ventricles causes the vibration of the ventricular myocardium, which has lost tone and elasticity. However, in cases where the heart muscle is not affected by inflammation, but simply its tone decreases, for example, in a physically very trained person - a skier or a football player of a high sports category, who is in a state of complete physical rest, as well as in young people, in patients with impaired autonomic tone, blood entering the relaxed ventricles of the heart can cause physiological 3 tones. The physiological 3rd tone is best heard directly with the ear, without the use of a phonendoscope.

The appearance of the 4th heart sound is unambiguously associated with pathological changes in the myocardium - with myocarditis, conduction disturbance in the myocardium.

Places for listening to heart sounds. Despite the fact that heart sounds occur in a limited space, due to their strength they are heard over the entire surface of the heart and even beyond. However, on the chest wall for each of the tones, there are places where they are heard better, and the sounds that occur in other places of the cardiac region interfere the least.

It could be assumed that the places of the best listening to heart sounds correspond to the points of their occurrence. However, this assumption is only valid for pulmonary artery tone. In reality, the points of best listening to the valves of the heart do not coincide with the points of their projection onto the chest wall. In addition to the proximity of the place of origin of sounds, the distribution of sounds along the blood flow, the density of adherence to the chest wall of that part of the heart in which sounds are formed, plays an important role. Since there are 4 valve openings in the heart, there are also 4 places for listening to heart sounds and noises that occur in the valve apparatus.

The mitral valve is projected onto the area of ​​​​attachment of the 3rd left costal cartilage to the sternum, but a relatively thick layer of lung tissue, which is characterized by poor sound conductivity, the proximity of the semilunar valves make it unprofitable to listen to the mitral valve, which forms 1 tone, in this place. First heart sound best heard at the apex of the heart. This is explained by the fact that in the region of the apex of the heart, we put a phonendoscope on that part of the chest, behind which lies the apex of the heart, formed by the left ventricle. The systolic stress of the left ventricle is stronger than that of the right ventricle. The chords of the mitral valve are also attached in the area close to the apex of the heart. Therefore, 1 tone is heard better in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bfitting the apex of the left ventricle to the chest.

With the expansion of the right ventricle and the displacement of the left ventricle posteriorly, 1 tone begins to be heard better over the right ventricle of the heart. The tricuspid valve that generates the first tone is located behind the sternum on the line connecting the place of attachment to the sternum of the 3rd costal cartilage on the left and the 5th cartilage on the right. However, it is heard better somewhat below the projection of the atrioventricular tricuspid valve onto the chest wall, at the lower end of the body of the sternum, since in this place the right ventricle is directly adjacent to the chest wall. If the lower part of the sternum is somewhat depressed in a patient, it is not possible to firmly place the phonendoscope on the chest in this place. In this case, you should move the phonendoscope slightly to the right at the same level until it fits snugly against the chest.

Second heart sound best heard on the basis of the heart. Since the second tone is predominantly valvular, it has 2 points of the best auscultation - at the point of auscultation of the pulmonary valves and at the point of auscultation of the aortic valves.

The sound phenomena of the pulmonary valve, which form the 2nd heart sound, are best heard above the place of the chest wall, which is located closest to the mouth of the pulmonary artery, namely in the second intercostal space to the left of the sternum. Here, the initial part of the pulmonary artery is separated from the chest wall only by a thin edge of the lung.

The aortic valves are laid deeper than them, located slightly medially and below the valves of the pulmonary artery, and even closed by the sternum. The tone generated by the slamming of the aortic valves is transmitted along the blood column and the walls of the aorta. In the 2nd intercostal space, the aorta is closest to the chest wall. To assess the aortic component of tone 2, a phonendoscope should be placed in the second intercostal space to the right of the sternum.

Conducting auscultation of the heart, follow a certain order of listening. There are 2 rules (orders) for auscultation of the heart - the "eight" rule and the "circle" rule.

The "rule of eight" involves listening to the valves of the heart in descending order of the frequency of their defeat in rheumatic lesions. Listen to the heart valves according to the "eight" rule in the following sequence:

1 point - the apex of the heart (the point of listening to the mitral valve and the left atrioventricular orifice),

2nd point - 2nd intercostal space at the right edge of the sternum (auscultation point of the aortic valve and aortic orifice),

3 point - 2 intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum (the point of listening to the valve of the pulmonary artery and its mouth),

4 point - the base of the xiphoid process (the point of listening to the tricuspid valve and the right atrioventricular orifice).

5 point of Botkin - Erb - 3rd intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum (additional auscultation point of the aortic valve, corresponding to its projection).

During auscultation, according to the "circle" rule, first listen to the "internal" heart valves (mitral and tricuspid), and then - "external" heart valves (aortic and pulmonary arteries), then listen to the 5th Botkin-Erb point. Listen to the heart valves according to the "circle" rule in the following sequence:

1 point - the top of the heart,

2 point - the base of the xiphoid process,

3 point - 2 intercostal space at the right edge of the sternum,

4 point - 2 intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum,

5 point Botkin - Erb - 3rd intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum.

Listening to heart sounds determine the correctness of the rhythm, the number of fundamental tones, their timbre, the integrity of the sound, the volume ratio of 1 and 2 tones. When additional tones are detected, their auscultatory features are noted: relation to the phases of the cardiac cycle, loudness and timbre. To determine the melody of the heart, one should mentally reproduce it using syllabic phonation.

Difference 1 from 2 heart sounds. 1 tone is longer and slightly lower than 2 tones. At the places of listening to the flap valves, it is usually stronger than 2 tones. The 2nd tone, on the contrary, is somewhat shorter, higher and stronger than the 1st at the places where the semilunar valves are heard. At the base of the heart, heart sounds are best conveyed in syllables. Bu" = tu" n,

and on the stomach Boo" = dumb.

It should be noted that in some perfectly healthy people, the 2nd tone is stronger than the 1st and at the places where the leaflets are auscultated. Sometimes, with rapid and, especially, irregular, arrhythmic activity of the heart, 1 tone can be difficult to distinguish from the 2nd.

Change in the strength of heart sounds.

Heart sounds can change in strength, character, bifurcate, additional tones can occur and peculiar heart rhythms are formed. Changes in heart tones may depend on the following main factors: 1. Changes in the contractile function of the ventricles, 2. Changes in the physical properties of the valves, 3. Changes in the level of blood pressure in the aorta and pulmonary artery, 4. From the non-simultaneity of the occurrence of individual components, 5. From external factors - changes in the properties of the sound-conducting medium - the lungs and chest wall, the state of organs adjacent to the heart.

Decreased heart sounds. The strength of heart tones is weakened, first of all, in healthy people with a thick chest wall, with powerful muscle development and, especially, with excessive development of subcutaneous fatty tissue, in patients with edema, subcutaneous emphysema in the region of the heart. The development of pulmonary emphysema is even more important for weakening the volume of heart sounds, since emphysematous lung tissue is characterized by low sound conductivity. With severe emphysema, heart sounds become barely audible. In patients with hydrothorax, pneumothorax, hydropericardium, there is also a sharp decrease in the volume of heart sounds.

The weakening of the heart sounds can be associated not only with external, in relation to the heart, causes, but also with cardiac pathology. Heart sounds weaken with a decrease in the speed and strength of contractions of the ventricles of the heart due to myocardial weakness. This can be observed in severe infectious diseases that occur with high myocardial intoxication, with myocarditis, in patients with hypertrophy and dilatation of the ventricles of the heart. Since the loudest component of any heart sound is the valvular component, if the closure of one or another heart valve is disturbed, the tone that forms during valve operation weakens sharply, up to complete disappearance. In patients with insufficiency of the mitral or tricuspid valves, 1 tone sharply weakens. In patients with insufficiency of the valves of the aorta or pulmonary artery, a weakening of the 2nd tone is noted. Weakening of the 2nd heart sound is noted in patients with a drop in blood pressure in the large or in the small circles of blood circulation, when the semilunar valves close weaker than usual.

Amplification of all heart sounds observed with: 1) a thin chest wall, 2) when the heart is adjacent to the chest wall with a larger area than usual, for example, with wrinkling of the lungs, 3) with anemia, when, due to a decrease in blood viscosity, heart sounds become clapping, sharp, 4) in those cases when the speed and strength of myocardial contraction increases, for example, during physical exertion, in patients with thyrotoxicosis, with neuropsychic arousal. With insufficient filling of the ventricles with blood, for example, with narrowing (stenosis) of the mitral orifice, orifice of the tricuspid valve, with an extraordinary contraction of the heart (with extrasystole), contractions of the ventricles of the heart that are poorly filled with blood occur faster than usual. Therefore, in such patients, a sharp increase in tone 1 is also noted.

Gain 2 tones, or as they say more often, accent 2 tones over the aorta and pulmonary artery, is common and has significant diagnostic value. In children and people under the age of 20 years, the 2nd tone over the pulmonary artery is normally louder than over the aorta. In older people, the 2nd tone over the aorta becomes louder than over the pulmonary artery. Strengthening of the 2nd tone above the aorta, its accent, is noted with an increase in blood pressure. With the sealing of the aortic valve cusps and, especially, with sclerosis of the aorta itself, the 2nd tone reaches considerable strength and acquires a metallic hue. Similarly, there will be an emphasis of 2 tones on the pulmonary artery in patients with pulmonary hypertension of any origin - with heart defects, with acute or chronic pulmonary pathology, ranging from lobar pneumonia to emphysema.

splitting of tones. Bifurcation of tones is such a phenomenon when one of the two heart tones is decomposed into 2 parts, freely caught by our ear as separate sounds. If this gap is very small and is not perceived by ear as separate sounds, then they speak of tone splitting. All transitions are possible between the bifurcation of the tone and its splitting, therefore there is no clear distinction between them.

Bifurcation 2 tones. Non-simultaneous closing of semilunar valves is the result of different duration of systole of the left and right ventricles. Systole ends the sooner the less blood the ventricle has to transfer to the aorta or pulmonary artery, the easier it is to fill them and the lower the blood pressure in them.

Above the base of the heart, a bifurcation of 2 tones can occur in a healthy person at the end of inhalation and at the beginning of exhalation as a physiological phenomenon. As a pathological phenomenon, bifurcation is often observed in mitral valve defects, and especially often in mitral stenosis. This bifurcation of 2 tones is best heard in the 3rd intercostal space on the left side of the sternum. With mitral valve stenosis, the left ventricle is poorly filled with blood in the diastolic phase and less than usual amount of blood is ejected into the aorta. Consequently, the systole of the left ventricle of the heart decreases in time against the usual value. At the same time, these patients have high pulmonary hypertension, which means that the systole of the right ventricle takes longer than usual. As a result of these changes in hemodynamics, non-simultaneous slamming of the valves of the aorta and the pulmonary trunk occurs, heard as a bifurcation of 2 tones. Thus, bifurcation of 2 tones on the aorta and on the pulmonary artery cause the following conditions: 1) pressure rise in one of the vessels and normal pressure in the other, 2) low pressure in one of the vessels and normal in the other, 3) high pressure in one vessel and low in the other, 4) increased blood supply in one of the ventricles, 5) reduced blood supply to one of the ventricles, 6) increased filling of one of the ventricles and reduced filling of the other ventricle of the heart.

Bifurcation of 1 tone. It is heard when a normal tone is always followed by a weak abnormal tone. This phenomenon can occur in 10% of healthy people with auscultation in the supine position. As a pathological phenomenon, bifurcation of the 1st tone occurs with aortic sclerosis and with increased blood pressure in the systemic circulation.

Mitral valve opening tone. In patients with mitral stenosis, with a correct heart rate (without atrial fibrillation), an increase in the number of heart tones is observed, resembling a bifurcation of the 2nd tone, since the third additional tone quickly follows the 2nd normal heart sound. This phenomenon is best heard over the apex of the heart. In healthy people, in the phase of rapid filling of the ventricles of the heart with blood, the leaflets of the mitral valve are silently pushed aside by blood. In patients with mitral valve stenosis, at the beginning of the diastolic phase, when the rapid filling of the ventricles with blood begins, the shortened and sclerotic leaflets of the mitral valve form a funnel-shaped diaphragm. They cannot open freely and move away to the walls of the ventricle, sharply tighten under the pressure of blood and generate a mitral valve opening tone. In this case, a kind of three-membered heart rhythm is formed, called quail rhythm. The first component of this three-term rhythm is the first tone. It is followed by a second tone at the usual time interval. Almost immediately after the second tone, the sound of the opening of the mtral valve follows at a short interval. There is a rhythm that can be transmitted by sounds Ta-tara, reminiscent, in the figurative expression of the old clinicians, the cry of a quail "sleep - in-ra." A quail rhythm is heard with normo- or bradycardia. Only in the absence of tachycardia by ear can one distinguish the difference in the intervals between the first - second and second - third components of the resulting three-term rhythm.

gallop rhythm. The bifurcation of the first tone is sometimes very sharp. The part split off from the main tone is separated from it by a certain interval, clearly perceived by ear, and is heard as a separate independent tone. A similar phenomenon is called, but the gallop rhythm, reminiscent of the clatter of the hooves of a galloping horse. This peculiar three-term rhythm appears against the background of tachycardia. The intervals between the first - second and second - third tones are perceived by the ear as the same, the interval between the third and the first sound following it of the next triad is perceived as somewhat larger. The emerging rhythm can be transmitted by sounds like ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra. The gallop rhythm is best defined above the apex of the heart and in 3-4 intercostal spaces to the left of the sternum. It is heard better directly with the ear than with the help of a phonendoscope. The gallop rhythm intensifies after a slight physical effort, when the patient moves from a vertical to a horizontal position, as well as at the end of inhalation - at the beginning of exhalation in a slowly and deeply breathing person.

An additional third tone with a gallop rhythm usually sounds muffled and short. It can be located in relation to the main tones as follows.


  1. An additional tone can be heard during a long pause closer to the first tone. It is formed by the separation of the atrial and ventricular components of the first tone. It is called the presystolic gallop rhythm.

  2. An additional tone can be heard in the middle of a great pause of the heart, i.e. in the middle of diastole. It is associated with the appearance of 3 heart sounds and is called the diastolic gallop rhythm. Phonocardiography made it possible to distinguish protodiastolic (at the beginning of diastole) and mesodiastolic (in the middle of diastole) gallop rhythms. The proto-diastolic gallop rhythm is due to severe damage to the ventricular myocardium, most often insufficiency of the previously hypertrophied left ventricle. The appearance of an additional tone in diastole is caused by the rapid straightening of the flabby muscle of the left ventricle when it is filled with blood. This variant of the gallop rhythm can occur with normo- and even with bradycardia.

  3. An additional tone can be heard immediately after the first tone. It is caused by simultaneous excitation and contraction of the left and right ventricles of the heart in case of conduction disturbances along the legs of the His bundle or along their branches. It is called the systolic gallop rhythm.

  4. If, with high tachycardia, there are 3 and 4 heart sounds, then a short interval between them can lead to the fact that the four-membered heart rhythm recorded on the phonocardiogram is perceived by ear as a three-membered rhythm and a summarized mesodiastolic gallop rhythm occurs (summation of 3 and 4 tones).
From a diagnostic point of view, the gallop rhythm is a very important symptom of heart weakness. According to the figurative expression of V.P. Obraztsov "Rhythm of a gallop - a cry of the heart for help". It appears in patients with heart decompensation as a result of long-term arterial hypertension, with sclerosis of the heart muscle against the background of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction. It is also detected in valvular heart disease, accompanied by damage to the heart muscle, with severe infections with toxic damage to the myocardium, for example, with diphtheria, with acute myocarditis. Usually the appearance of a gallop rhythm is a very unfavorable diagnostic sign.

pendulum rhythm- This is a two-term rhythm with equal pauses between 1 and 2 heart sounds. It occurs due to the lengthening of the systole of the ventricles during their hypertrophy, with cardiosclerosis and myocarditis.

Embryocardia called pendulum rhythm, auscultated with tachycardia. Normally, this rhythm is heard in the fetus. When an adult develops, embryocardia is evidence of severe myocardial damage, primarily an inflammatory process.

When listening to the heart, two sounds are clearly distinguished, which are called heart sounds.

Heart sounds are usually heard with a stethoscope or phonendoscope.

A stethoscope is a tube made of wood or metal, the narrow end of which is applied to the chest of the examinee, and the wide end to the listener's ear. A phonendoscope is a small capsule covered with a membrane. Rubber tubes with tips extend from the capsule. When listening, the capsule is applied to the chest, and rubber tubes are inserted into the ears.

The first tone is called systolic because it occurs during ventricular systole. It is long, deaf and low. The nature of this tone depends on the trembling of the cusp valves and tendon filaments and on the contraction of the muscles of the ventricles.

The second tone, diastolic, corresponds to ventricular diastole. It is short and high, occurs when the semilunar valves slam, which occurs as follows. After systole, the blood pressure in the ventricles drops sharply. In the aorta and pulmonary artery at this time it is higher, the blood from the vessels rushes back to the side of lower pressure, i.e. to the ventricles, and under the pressure of this blood the semilunar valves close.

Heart sounds can be heard separately. The first tone, heard at the apex of the heart - in the fifth intercostal space, corresponds to the activity of the left ventricle and the bicuspid valve. The same tone, heard on the sternum between the place of attachment of the IV and V ribs, will give an idea of ​​the activity of the right ventricle and the tricuspid valve. The second tone, heard in the second intercostal space to the right of the sternum, is determined by the slamming of the aortic valves. The same tone, heard in the same intercostal space, but to the left of the sternum, reflects the slamming of the valves of the pulmonary artery.

It should be noted that the heart sounds in these areas reflect the sounds that occur not only during the work of the above departments of the heart, they are mixed with sounds from other departments.

However, in certain areas one or another sound predominates.

Heart sounds can be recorded on photographic film or photographic paper using a special phonocardiograph device, consisting of a highly sensitive microphone that is applied to the chest, an amplifier and an oscilloscope.

Phonocardiography

The so-called method of recording heart sounds, allows you to record heart sounds and compare it with an electrocardiogram and other data characterizing the activity of the heart. The figure shows a phonocardiogram.

With various diseases of the heart, especially with heart defects, the tones change: noises are mixed with them, and they lose their purity. This is due to a violation of the structure of the heart valves. With heart defects, the valves do not close tightly enough, and part of the blood ejected from the heart returns back through the remaining gaps, which creates an additional sound - noise. Noises also appear when the openings closed by the valve apparatus are narrowed, and for other reasons. Listening to heart sounds is of great importance and is an important diagnostic method.

Cardiac push

If you put your hand on the left fifth intercostal space, you can feel the push of the heart. This push depends on the change in the position of the heart during systole. During contraction, it becomes almost rigid, turns slightly from left to right, the left ventricle presses against the chest, presses on it. This pressure is felt as a push.

Dimensions and weight of the heart

The most common way to determine the size of the heart is percussion-percussion. When tapping in those places where it lies, a duller sound is heard than in those parts of the chest to which the lung is adjacent. More precisely, the boundaries of the heart are established by transillumination with x-rays. The size of the heart increases with certain diseases (heart defects) and in people who have been engaged in heavy physical labor for a long time. The weight of the heart in healthy people ranges from 250 to 350 g (0.4-0.5% of the weight).

Heart rate

In a healthy person, it contracts an average of 70 times per minute. The heart rate is subject to many influences and often changes even during the day. The position of the body also affects the heart rate: the highest heart rate is observed in a standing position, in a sitting position it is lower, and when lying down, the heart contracts even more slowly. The heart rate increases sharply during exercise; for athletes, for example, during a competition it even reaches 250 per minute.

Heart rate depends on age. In children under the age of 1, it is 100-140 per minute, at 10 years old - 90, at 20 years and older - 60-80, and in the elderly it again increases to 90-95.

In some people, the heart rate is rare and fluctuates between 40-60 per minute. This rare rhythm is called bradycardia. It most often occurs in athletes at rest.

There are people with a more frequent rhythm, when the heart rate fluctuates between 90-100 and can reach up to 140-150.

This rapid rhythm is called tachycardia.

The work of the heart becomes more frequent during inspiration, emotional arousal (fear, anger, joy, etc.).

Article on the topic Heart sounds

Heart sounds are a reflection mainly of vibrational movements that occur when blood flow in the cardiovascular system is rapidly accelerated or slowed down. However, there is no unambiguous opinion about the share of participation in the genesis of these vibrations of various anatomical formations - valves, muscles, blood vessels, and other supporting structures.

Studies using simultaneous registration of echo and phonocardiograms have shown that I and II heart sounds occur mainly as a result of the closure of the atrioventricular valves and the valves of the aorta and pulmonary trunk, as well as other processes accompanying their closure. The volume of the first heart sound is affected by the position of the leaflets of the left atrioventricular valve at the time of ventricular systole; the rate of increase in the pulse pressure of the left ventricle; the presence or absence of structural changes in the left atrioventricular valve and the amount of tissue, air, or fluid between the heart and the stethoscope.

The volume of the I tone increases if the duration of diastole is shortened due to tachycardia, if the atrioventricular blood flow increases with an increase in cardiac output or slows down with stenosis of the left atrioventricular orifice, if the P-R interval between atrial and ventricular contractions is shortened. Loud I tone with stenosis of the left atrioventricular orifice (mitral stenosis) reflects greater compliance of the valve, resulting in increased pressure in the left atrium and it remains open at the time of isovolumetric contraction.

Weakening of the I tone may be due to poor conduction of sound through the tissues of the chest, a slow increase in pulse pressure in the left ventricle, an increase in the duration of the R-R interval, or incomplete closure of the valve when the leaflets are smaller than the lumen, as, for example, in case of insufficiency of the left atrioventricular valve (mitral insufficiency). A dull I tone is also heard when the anterior leaflet of the left atrioventricular (mitral) valve is immobile as a result of its rigidity or calcification, even with the predominance of stenosis of this valve.

Heart tones: concept, auscultation, what are pathological

Everyone is familiar with the priesthood of a doctor at the time of examining a patient, which in scientific language is called auscultation. The doctor applies the membrane of the phonendoscope to the chest and carefully listens to the work of the heart. What he hears and what special knowledge he has in order to understand what he hears, we will understand below.

Heart sounds are sound waves produced by the heart muscle and heart valves. They can be heard if you attach a phonendoscope or ear to the anterior chest wall. To get more detailed information, the doctor listens to tones at special points near which the heart valves are located.

Cardiac cycle

All structures of the heart work in concert and in sequence to ensure efficient blood flow. The duration of one cycle at rest (that is, at 60 beats per minute) is 0.9 seconds. It consists of a contractile phase - systole and a phase of myocardial relaxation - diastole.

diagram: cardiac cycle

While the heart muscle is relaxed, the pressure in the chambers of the heart is lower than in the vascular bed, and blood passively flows into the atria, then into the ventricles. When the latter are filled to ¾ of their volume, the atria contract and forcefully push the remaining volume into them. This process is called atrial systole. The fluid pressure in the ventricles begins to exceed the pressure in the atria, which is why the atrioventricular valves close and delimit the cavities from each other.

Blood stretches the muscle fibers of the ventricles, to which they respond with a quick and powerful contraction - ventricular systole occurs. The pressure in them increases rapidly and at the moment when it begins to exceed the pressure in the vascular bed, the valves of the last aorta and pulmonary trunk open. Blood rushes into the vessels, the ventricles empty and relax. High pressure in the aorta and pulmonary trunk closes the semilunar valves, so fluid does not flow back to the heart.

The systolic phase is followed by complete relaxation of all cavities of the heart - diastole, after which the next stage of filling occurs and the cardiac cycle repeats. Diastole is twice as long as systole, so the heart muscle has enough time to rest and recover.

Tone formation

The stretching and contraction of myocardial fibers, the movements of the valve flaps and the noise effects of the blood jet give rise to sound vibrations that are picked up by the human ear. Thus, 4 tones are distinguished:

1 heart sound appears during contraction of the heart muscle. It is made up of:

  • Vibrations of tense myocardial fibers;
  • The noise of the collapse of the valves of the atrioventricular valves;
  • Vibrations of the walls of the aorta and pulmonary trunk under the pressure of incoming blood.

Normally, it dominates the apex of the heart, which corresponds to a point in the 4th intercostal space on the left. Listening to the first tone coincides in time with the appearance of a pulse wave on the carotid artery.

2 heart sound appears after a short period of time after the first. It is made up of:

  • Collapse of the aortic valve leaflets:
  • Collapse of the cusps of the pulmonary valve.

It is less sonorous than the first and prevails in the 2nd intercostal space on the right and left. The pause after the second tone is longer than after the first, as it corresponds to diastole.

3 heart sound is not mandatory, normally it may be absent. It is born by vibrations of the walls of the ventricles at the moment when they are passively filled with blood. To catch it with the ear, sufficient experience in auscultation, a quiet room for examination, and a thin anterior wall of the chest cavity (which occurs in children, adolescents and asthenic adults) are required.

4 heart tone is also optional, its absence is not considered a pathology. It appears at the moment of atrial systole, when there is an active filling of the ventricles with blood. The fourth tone is best heard in children and slender young people whose chest is thin and the heart fits snugly against it.

auscultation points of the heart

Normally, heart sounds are rhythmic, that is, they occur after the same intervals of time. For example, with a heart rate of 60 beats per minute after the first tone, 0.3 seconds pass before the start of the second, and after the second to the next first - 0.6 seconds. Each of them is well distinguishable by ear, that is, the heart sounds are clear and loud. The first tone is rather low, long, sonorous and begins after a relatively long pause. The second tone is higher, shorter and occurs after a short period of silence. The third and fourth tones are heard after the second - in the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle.

Video: heart sounds - training video

Tone changes

Heart sounds are inherently sound waves, so their changes occur when the conduction of sound is disturbed and the pathology of the structures that these sounds emit. There are two main groups of reasons why heart sounds sound different from the norm:

  1. Physiological - they are associated with the characteristics of the person being studied and his functional state. For example, excess subcutaneous fat near the pericardium and on the anterior chest wall in obese people impairs sound conduction, so heart sounds become muffled.
  2. Pathological - they occur when the structures of the heart and the vessels extending from it are damaged. Thus, the narrowing of the atrioventricular orifice and the compaction of its valves leads to the appearance of a clicking first tone. Dense flaps make a louder sound when collapsing than normal, elastic ones.

Muffled heart sounds are called when they lose their clarity and become poorly distinguishable. Weak muffled tones at all points of auscultation are suggestive of:

changes in heart sounds characteristic of certain disorders

  • Diffuse myocardial damage with a decrease in its ability to contract - extensive myocardial infarction, myocarditis, atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis;
  • effusion pericarditis;
  • Deterioration of sound conduction for reasons not related to the heart - emphysema, pneumothorax.

The weakening of one tone at any point of auscultation gives a fairly accurate description of changes in the heart:

  1. Muting the first tone at the apex of the heart indicates myocarditis, sclerosis of the heart muscle, partial destruction or insufficiency of atrioventricular valves;
  2. Muting of the second tone in the 2nd intercostal space on the right occurs when the aortic valve is insufficiency or narrowing (stenosis) of its mouth;
  3. Muting of the second tone in the 2nd intercostal space on the left indicates insufficiency of the valve of the pulmonary trunk or stenosis of its mouth.

In some diseases, the change in heart sounds is so specific that it receives a separate name. So, mitral stenosis is characterized by a “quail rhythm”: the clapping first tone is replaced by an unchanged second, after which an echo of the first appears - an additional pathological tone. A three- or four-member "gallop rhythm" occurs with severe myocardial damage. In this case, the blood quickly stretches the thinned walls of the ventricle and their vibrations give rise to an additional tone.

Strengthening of all cardiac tones at all points of auscultation occurs in children and in asthenic people, since their anterior chest wall is thin and the heart lies quite close to the membrane of the phonendoscope. In pathology, an increase in the volume of individual tones in a certain localization is characteristic:

  • The loud first tone at the apex occurs with narrowing of the left atrioventricular orifice, sclerosis of the mitral valve cusps, tachycardia;
  • A loud second tone in the 2nd intercostal space on the left indicates an increase in pressure in the pulmonary circulation, which leads to a stronger collapse of the cusps of the pulmonary valve;
  • A loud second tone in the 2nd intercostal space on the left indicates an increase in pressure in the aorta, atherosclerosis, and thickening of the aortic wall.

Arrhythmic tones indicate a violation in the conduction system of the heart. Heart contractions occur at different intervals, since not every electrical signal passes through the entire thickness of the myocardium. Severe atrioventricular block, in which the work of the atria is not coordinated with the work of the ventricles, leads to the appearance of a "cannon tone". It is caused by simultaneous contraction of all chambers of the heart.

Tone bifurcation is the replacement of one long sound with two short ones. It is associated with desynchronization of the valves and myocardium. Bifurcation of the first tone occurs due to:

  1. Non-simultaneous closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves in mitral / tricuspid stenosis;
  2. Violations of the electrical conduction of the myocardium, due to which the atria and ventricles contract at different times.

The bifurcation of the second tone is associated with a discrepancy in the time of collapse of the aortic and pulmonary valves, which indicates:

  • Excessive pressure in the pulmonary circulation;
  • arterial hypertension;
  • Left ventricular hypertrophy with mitral stenosis, due to which its systole ends later and the aortic valve closes late.

With IHD, changes in heart sounds depend on the stage of the disease and the changes that have occurred in the myocardium. At the onset of the disease, pathological changes are mild and heart sounds remain normal in the interictal period. During an attack, they become muffled, non-rhythmic, a “gallop rhythm” may appear. The progression of the disease leads to persistent myocardial dysfunction with the preservation of the described changes even outside an angina attack.

It should be remembered that not always a change in the nature of heart sounds indicates the pathology of the cardiovascular system. Fever, thyrotoxicosis, diphtheria and many other causes lead to a change in the heart rhythm, the appearance of additional tones or their muffling. Therefore, the doctor interprets auscultatory data in the context of the entire clinical picture, which allows you to most accurately determine the nature of the pathology that has arisen.

Lecture number 10. Auscultation of the heart. Heart sounds in norm and pathology

Auscultation of the heart. Heart sounds in norm and pathology.

Listening to the patient should be carried out in a warm room and with a warm instrument. When working in a cold room or with a cold tool, the patient develops muscle tremors. In this case, a lot of side sounds arise, which greatly complicate the assessment of the auscultatory picture. Listening to the patient is carried out with his calm breathing. However, in many situations, when the doctor picks up weak sound phenomena, he asks the patient to hold his breath in the phase of maximum exhalation. At the same time, the volume of the air-containing lungs around the heart decreases, the respiratory noises that occur in the lungs disappear, and the sound picture of the beating heart is perceived more easily.

Along with listening to the sound phenomena that occur during the work of the heart, the phonocardiography technique is now widely used. Phonocardiography is a graphic recording on a paper tape of sound phenomena that occur during the work of the heart, perceived by a sensitive microphone. Sound phenomena are depicted as oscillations of various amplitudes and frequencies. Simultaneously with the recording of sound phenomena, an electrocardiogram is recorded in one standard lead, usually in the second. This is necessary to determine in which phase of cardiac activity the recorded sound occurs. Currently, phonocardiography involves recording sounds in various sound frequency ranges. It allows you to document not only the very fact of the presence of a particular sound, but also its frequency, shape, amplitude (loudness). With the undoubted diagnostic value of the technique, it should be taken into account that the sound picture perceived by ear sometimes turns out to be more informative than the graphically recorded one. In some situations, during phonocardiography, the sound energy is distributed to the recorded channels and is encrypted as background, while a clear, diagnostically significant sound picture is determined by ear. Therefore, phonocardiography, of course, should be attributed to a valuable, but additional research method.

When listening to the heart, tones and noises are distinguished. According to scientific terminology, those sound phenomena that are commonly called tones do not deserve this name, because. they, like heart murmurs, are produced by irregular, aperiodic sound vibrations (the intervals between vibrations of each tone are not equal). In this sense, even many heart murmurs (the so-called musical ones) are much closer to real tones.

Normally, physiologically, 2 tones are heard over the heart. Of these, in time, the 1st corresponds to the beginning of ventricular systole - the period of closed valves. It is called the systolic tone. The second corresponds in time to the very beginning of the diastole of the heart and is called diastolic.

In the phase of asynchronous contraction of the heart, the process of excitation of the ventricles, the pressure in which is still close to "0", the process of contraction of the ventricles covers all myocardial fibers and the pressure in them begins to increase rapidly. At this time, a long-term ventricular or muscle component of tone 1. The ventricles of the heart at this moment of the systole of the heart are 2 completely closed bags, the walls of which are tensed around the blood they contain and, due to this, come into oscillation. All parts of the walls vibrate, and they all give tone. From this it is clear that the complete closure of the ventricles of the heart from all sides is the main condition for the formation of the first tone.

The main loudness component of the 1st tone falls at the moment when the two- and three-leaf valves of the heart slam shut. These valves have closed, but the semilunar valves have not yet opened. The tone of that part of the walls that is most capable of vibrating, namely the tone of thin elastic flap valves, valve component 1 tone, will be dominant in volume. With significant valve insufficiency, the tone of the corresponding ventricle will completely disappear by ear.

The first tone is not only conducted from the ventricles and cuspid valves, but also occurs due to sudden tension and vibration of the walls of the aorta and pulmonary artery when the blood of their ventricles enters them. This component of 1 tone is called vascular. Since this occurs already in the phase of the beginning of emptying of the ventricles, the first tone also captures the period of the beginning of the expulsion of blood from the ventricles.

So, 1 heart sound consists of 4 components - atrial, muscular, valvular and vascular.

The period of expulsion of blood from the ventricles of the heart consists of two phases - fast and slow expulsion of blood. At the end of the slow ejection phase, the ventricular myocardium begins to relax, and its diastole begins. The blood pressure in the ventricles of the heart decreases, and blood from the aorta and from the pulmonary artery rushes back into the ventricles of the heart. It closes the semilunar valves and a second or diastolic heart sound occurs. The first tone is separated from the second tone by a small pause, with an average duration of about 0.2 seconds. The second tone has two components, or two constituents. The main loudness is valve the component formed by the vibrations of the semilunar valve cusps. After the slamming of the semilunar valves, the blood rushes into the arteries of the systemic and pulmonary circulation. The pressure in the aorta and pulmonary trunk gradually decreases. All pressure drops and blood movement in the aorta and pulmonary artery are accompanied by vibrations of their walls, forming a second, less loud, component of the 2nd tone - vascular component.

The time from the onset of ventricular relaxation to the closing of the semilunar valves is called proto-diastolic period equal to 0.04 seconds. The blood pressure in the ventricles at this time drops to zero. The flap valves are still closed at this time, the volume of blood remaining in the ventricles, the length of the myocardial fibers have not yet changed. This period is called a period of isometric relaxation equal to 0.08 seconds. By its end, the cavities of the ventricles of the heart begin to expand, the pressure in them becomes negative, lower than in the atria. The cusp valves open, and blood begins to flow from the atria into the ventricles of the heart. Begins period of filling of the ventricles with blood, lasting 0.25 seconds. This period is divided into 2 phases of fast (0.08 seconds) and slow (0.17 seconds) filling of the ventricles with blood.

At the beginning of the rapid flow of blood into the ventricles, due to the impact of the incoming blood on their walls, a third heart sound occurs. It is deaf, best heard over the apex of the heart in the position of the patient on the left side and follows at the beginning of diastole approximately 0.18 seconds after 2 tones.

At the end of the phase of slow filling of the ventricles with blood, in the so-called presystolic period, lasting 0.1 seconds, atrial systole begins. Vibrations of the heart walls caused by atrial systole and additional flow into the ventricles of blood ejected from the atria lead to the appearance of the fourth heart sound. Normally, a low-amplitude and low-frequency 4th tone is never heard, but can be determined on FCG in individuals with bradycardia. In pathology, it becomes high, high-amplitude, and with tachycardia forms a gallop rhythm.

With normal listening to the heart, only 1 and 2 heart sounds are clearly audible. 3 and 4 tones are normally not audible. This is due to the fact that in a healthy heart, the blood entering the ventricles at the beginning of diastole does not cause sufficiently loud sound phenomena, and tone 4 is actually the initial component of tone 1 and is perceived inseparably from tone 1. The appearance of 3 tones can be associated both with pathological changes in the heart muscle, and without pathology of the heart itself. Physiological 3 tone is heard more often in children and adolescents. In people over 30 years of age, the 3rd tone is usually not heard due to a decrease in the elasticity of their heart. It appears in those cases when the tone of the heart muscle decreases, for example, with myocarditis, and the blood entering the ventricles causes the vibration of the ventricular myocardium, which has lost tone and elasticity. However, in cases where the heart muscle is not affected by inflammation, but simply its tone decreases, for example, in a physically very trained person - a skier or a football player of a high sports category, who is in a state of complete physical rest, as well as in young people, in patients with impaired autonomic tone, blood entering the relaxed ventricles of the heart can cause physiological 3 tones. The physiological 3rd tone is best heard directly with the ear, without the use of a phonendoscope.

The appearance of the 4th heart sound is unambiguously associated with pathological changes in the myocardium - with myocarditis, conduction disturbance in the myocardium.

It could be assumed that the places of the best listening to heart sounds correspond to the points of their occurrence. However, this assumption is only valid for pulmonary artery tone. In reality, the points of best listening to the valves of the heart do not coincide with the points of their projection onto the chest wall. In addition to the proximity of the place of origin of sounds, the distribution of sounds along the blood flow, the density of adherence to the chest wall of that part of the heart in which sounds are formed, plays an important role. Since there are 4 valve openings in the heart, there are also 4 places for listening to heart sounds and noises that occur in the valve apparatus.

The mitral valve is projected onto the area of ​​​​attachment of the 3rd left costal cartilage to the sternum, but a relatively thick layer of lung tissue, which is characterized by poor sound conductivity, the proximity of the semilunar valves make it unprofitable to listen to the mitral valve, which forms 1 tone, in this place. First heart sound best heard at the apex of the heart. This is explained by the fact that in the region of the apex of the heart, we put a phonendoscope on that part of the chest, behind which lies the apex of the heart, formed by the left ventricle. The systolic stress of the left ventricle is stronger than that of the right ventricle. The chords of the mitral valve are also attached in the area close to the apex of the heart. Therefore, 1 tone is heard better in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bfitting the apex of the left ventricle to the chest.

With the expansion of the right ventricle and the displacement of the left ventricle posteriorly, 1 tone begins to be heard better over the right ventricle of the heart. The tricuspid valve that generates the first tone is located behind the sternum on the line connecting the place of attachment to the sternum of the 3rd costal cartilage on the left and the 5th cartilage on the right. However, it is heard better somewhat below the projection of the atrioventricular tricuspid valve onto the chest wall, at the lower end of the body of the sternum, since in this place the right ventricle is directly adjacent to the chest wall. If the lower part of the sternum is somewhat depressed in a patient, it is not possible to firmly place the phonendoscope on the chest in this place. In this case, you should move the phonendoscope slightly to the right at the same level until it fits snugly against the chest.

The sound phenomena of the pulmonary valve, which form the 2nd heart sound, are best heard above the place of the chest wall, which is located closest to the mouth of the pulmonary artery, namely in the second intercostal space to the left of the sternum. Here, the initial part of the pulmonary artery is separated from the chest wall only by a thin edge of the lung.

The aortic valves are laid deeper than them, located slightly medially and below the valves of the pulmonary artery, and even closed by the sternum. The tone generated by the slamming of the aortic valves is transmitted along the blood column and the walls of the aorta. In the 2nd intercostal space, the aorta is closest to the chest wall. To assess the aortic component of tone 2, a phonendoscope should be placed in the second intercostal space to the right of the sternum.

Conducting auscultation of the heart, follow a certain order of listening. There are 2 rules (orders) for auscultation of the heart - the "eight" rule and the "circle" rule.

The "rule of eight" involves listening to the valves of the heart in descending order of the frequency of their defeat in rheumatic lesions. Listen to the heart valves according to the "eight" rule in the following sequence:

1 point - the apex of the heart (the point of listening to the mitral valve and the left atrioventricular orifice),

2nd point - 2nd intercostal space at the right edge of the sternum (auscultation point of the aortic valve and aortic orifice),

3 point - 2 intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum (the point of listening to the valve of the pulmonary artery and its mouth),

4 point - the base of the xiphoid process (the point of listening to the tricuspid valve and the right atrioventricular orifice).

5 point of Botkin - Erb - 3rd intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum (additional auscultation point of the aortic valve, corresponding to its projection).

During auscultation, according to the “circle” rule, first listen to the “internal” heart valves (mitral and tricuspid), and then the “external” heart valves (aortic and pulmonary arteries), then listen to the 5th Botkin-Erb point. Listen to the heart valves according to the "circle" rule in the following sequence:

1 point - the top of the heart,

2 point - the base of the xiphoid process,

3 point - 2 intercostal space at the right edge of the sternum,

4 point - 2 intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum,

5 point Botkin - Erb - 3rd intercostal space at the left edge of the sternum.

and on the stomach Bu' = dumb.

It should be noted that in some perfectly healthy people, the 2nd tone is stronger than the 1st and at the places where the leaflets are auscultated. Sometimes, with rapid and, especially, irregular, arrhythmic activity of the heart, 1 tone can be difficult to distinguish from the 2nd.

Heart sounds can change in strength, character, bifurcate, additional tones can occur and peculiar heart rhythms are formed. Changes in heart tones may depend on the following main factors: 1. Changes in the contractile function of the ventricles, 2. Changes in the physical properties of the valves, 3. Changes in the level of blood pressure in the aorta and pulmonary artery, 4. From the non-simultaneity of the occurrence of individual components, 5. From external factors - changes in the properties of the sound-conducting medium - the lungs and chest wall, the state of organs adjacent to the heart.

The weakening of the heart sounds can be associated not only with external, in relation to the heart, causes, but also with cardiac pathology. Heart sounds weaken with a decrease in the speed and strength of contractions of the ventricles of the heart due to myocardial weakness. This can be observed in severe infectious diseases that occur with high myocardial intoxication, with myocarditis, in patients with hypertrophy and dilatation of the ventricles of the heart. Since the loudest component of any heart sound is the valvular component, if the closure of one or another heart valve is disturbed, the tone that forms during valve operation weakens sharply, up to complete disappearance. In patients with insufficiency of the mitral or tricuspid valves, 1 tone sharply weakens. In patients with insufficiency of the valves of the aorta or pulmonary artery, a weakening of the 2nd tone is noted. The weakening of the 2nd heart sound is noted in patients with a drop in blood pressure in the large or in the small circles of blood circulation, when the semilunar valves slam shut less than usual.

Above the base of the heart, a bifurcation of 2 tones can occur in a healthy person at the end of inhalation and at the beginning of exhalation as a physiological phenomenon. As a pathological phenomenon, bifurcation is often observed in mitral valve defects, and especially often in mitral stenosis. This bifurcation of 2 tones is best heard in the 3rd intercostal space on the left side of the sternum. With mitral valve stenosis, the left ventricle is poorly filled with blood in the diastolic phase and less than usual amount of blood is ejected into the aorta. Consequently, the systole of the left ventricle of the heart decreases in time against the usual value. At the same time, these patients have high pulmonary hypertension, which means that the systole of the right ventricle takes longer than usual. As a result of these changes in hemodynamics, non-simultaneous slamming of the valves of the aorta and the pulmonary trunk occurs, heard as a bifurcation of 2 tones. Thus, bifurcation of 2 tones on the aorta and on the pulmonary artery cause the following conditions: 1) pressure rise in one of the vessels and normal pressure in the other, 2) low pressure in one of the vessels and normal in the other, 3) high pressure in one vessel and low in the other, 4) increased blood supply in one of the ventricles, 5) reduced blood supply to one of the ventricles, 6) increased filling of one of the ventricles and reduced filling of the other ventricle of the heart.

An additional third tone with a gallop rhythm usually sounds muffled and short. It can be located in relation to the main tones as follows.

An additional tone can be heard during a long pause closer to the first tone. It is formed by the separation of the atrial and ventricular components of the first tone. It is called the presystolic gallop rhythm.

An additional tone can be heard in the middle of a great pause of the heart, i.e. in the middle of diastole. It is associated with the appearance of 3 heart sounds and is called the diastolic gallop rhythm. Phonocardiography made it possible to distinguish protodiastolic (at the beginning of diastole) and mesodiastolic (in the middle of diastole) gallop rhythms. The proto-diastolic gallop rhythm is due to severe damage to the ventricular myocardium, most often insufficiency of the previously hypertrophied left ventricle. The appearance of an additional tone in diastole is caused by the rapid straightening of the flabby muscle of the left ventricle when it is filled with blood. This variant of the gallop rhythm can occur with normo- and even with bradycardia.

An additional tone can be heard immediately after the first tone. It is caused by simultaneous excitation and contraction of the left and right ventricles of the heart in case of conduction disturbances along the legs of the His bundle or along their branches. It is called the systolic gallop rhythm.

If, with high tachycardia, there are 3 and 4 heart sounds, then a short interval between them can lead to the fact that the four-membered heart rhythm recorded on the phonocardiogram is perceived by ear as a three-membered rhythm and a summarized mesodiastolic gallop rhythm occurs (summation of 3 and 4 tones).

From a diagnostic point of view, the gallop rhythm is a very important symptom of heart weakness. According to the figurative expression of V.P. Obraztsov "Rhythm of a gallop - a cry of the heart for help". It appears in patients with heart decompensation as a result of long-term arterial hypertension, with sclerosis of the heart muscle against the background of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction. It is also detected in valvular heart disease, accompanied by damage to the heart muscle, with severe infections with toxic damage to the myocardium, for example, with diphtheria, with acute myocarditis. Usually the appearance of a gallop rhythm is a very unfavorable diagnostic sign.

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Heart sounds

Characteristics of heart sounds.

The opening of the valves is not accompanied by distinct fluctuations, i.e. almost silently, and the closure is accompanied by a complex auscultatory picture, which is regarded as I and II tones.

I tone occurs when the atrioventricular valves (mitral and tricuspid) close. Louder, longer lasting. This is a systolic tone, as it is heard at the beginning of systole.

II tone is formed when the semilunar valves of the aorta and pulmonary artery close.

I tone is called systolic and according to the mechanism of formation it consists of 4 components:

the main component is valvular, represented by amplitude oscillations resulting from the movement of the mitral and tricuspid valve cusps at the end of diastole and the beginning of systole, and the initial oscillation is observed when the mitral valve cusps are closed, and the final one is observed when the tricuspid valve cusps are closed, therefore, the mitral and tricuspid components are isolated ;

muscular component - low-amplitude oscillations are superimposed on high-amplitude oscillations of the main component (isometric tension of the ventricles, appears approximately 0.02 seconds before the valvular component and is superimposed on it); and also arise as a result of asynchronous contractions of the ventricles during systole, i.e. as a result of contraction of the papillary muscles and the interventricular septum, which ensure the slamming of the cusps of the mitral and tricuspid valves;

vascular component - low-amplitude oscillations that occur at the moment of opening of the aortic and pulmonary valves as a result of vibration of the walls of the aorta and pulmonary artery under the influence of blood flow moving from the ventricles to the main vessels at the beginning of the ventricular systole (exile period). These oscillations occur after the valve component after about 0.02 seconds;

atrial component - low-amplitude oscillations resulting from atrial systole. This component precedes the valvular component of the I tone. It is detected only in the presence of mechanical atrial systole, disappears with atrial fibrillation, nodal and idioventricular rhythm, AV blockade (lack of atrial excitation wave).

The second tone is called diastolic and occurs as a result of the slamming of the semilunar valves of the aorta and pulmonary artery. They begin diastole and end systole. Consists of 2 components:

the valvular component arises as a result of the movement of the leaflets of the semilunar valves of the aorta and pulmonary artery at the moment of their slamming;

the vascular component is associated with the vibration of the walls of the aorta and pulmonary artery under the influence of the flow of blood directed towards the ventricles.

When analyzing heart tones, it is necessary to determine their number, to find out which tone is the first. With a normal heart rate, the solution to this problem is clear: I tone occurs after a longer pause, i.e. diastole, II tone - after after a short pause, i.e. systole. With tachycardia, especially in children, when systole is equal to diastole, this method is not informative and the following technique is used: auscultation in combination with palpation of the pulse on the carotid artery; the tone that coincides with the pulse wave is I.

In adolescents and young people with a thin chest wall and a hyperkinetic type of hemodynamics (increased speed and strength, during physical and mental stress), additional III and IV tones (physiological) appear. Their appearance is associated with the fluctuation of the walls of the ventricles under the influence of blood moving from the atria to the ventricles during ventricular diastole.

III tone - protodiastolic, because. appears at the beginning of diastole immediately after the II tone. It is best heard with direct auscultation at the apex of the heart. It is a weak, low, short sound. It is a sign of good development of the myocardium of the ventricles. With an increase in ventricular myocardial tone in the phase of rapid filling in ventricular diastole, the myocardium begins to oscillate and vibrate. Auscultated through 0.14 -0.20 after the II tone.

IV tone - presystolic, because appears at the end of diastole, precedes the I tone. Very quiet, short sound. It is heard in persons with increased ventricular myocardial tone and is due to fluctuations in the ventricular myocardium when blood enters them in the atrial systole phase. More often heard in a vertical position in athletes and after emotional stress. This is due to the fact that the atria are sensitive to sympathetic influences, therefore, with an increase in the tone of the sympathetic NS, there is some lead in atrial contractions from the ventricles, and therefore the fourth component of the I tone begins to be heard separately from the I tone and is called the IV tone.

I tone is heard louder at the apex and on the tricuspid valve at the base of the xiphoid process at the beginning of systole, that is, after a long pause.

II tone is heard louder at the base - II intercostal space on the right and left at the edge of the sternum after a short pause.

I tone is longer, but lower, duration 0.09-0.12 sec.

II tone is higher, shorter, duration 0.05-0.07 sec.

The tone that coincides with the apex beat and with the pulsation of the carotid artery is tone I, tone II does not match.

I tone does not coincide with the pulse on the peripheral arteries.

Auscultation of the heart is performed at the following points:

the region of the apex of the heart, which is determined by the localization of the apex beat. At this point, a sound vibration is heard that occurs during the operation of the mitral valve;

II intercostal space, to the right of the sternum. Here the aortic valve is heard;

II intercostal space, to the left of the sternum. Here the pulmonary valve is auscultated;

region of the xiphoid process. The tricuspid valve is heard here

point (zone) Botkin-Erbe (III-IV intercostal space 1-1.5 cm lateral (to the left) from the left edge of the sternum. Here, sound vibrations are heard that occur during the operation of the aortic valve, less often - mitral and tricuspid.

During auscultation, the points of maximum sounding of heart tones are determined:

I tone - the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe apex of the heart (I tone is louder than II)

II tone - the region of the base of the heart.

The sonority of the II tone is compared to the left and right of the sternum.

In healthy children, adolescents, young people of asthenic body type, there is an increase in the II tone on the pulmonary artery (quieter on the right than on the left). With age, there is an increase in the II tone above the aorta (II intercostal space on the right).

During auscultation, the sonority of heart tones is analyzed, which depends on the summation effect of extra- and intracardiac factors.

Extracardiac factors include the thickness and elasticity of the chest wall, age, body position, and the intensity of pulmonary ventilation. Sound vibrations are better conducted through a thin elastic chest wall. Elasticity is determined by age. In the vertical position, the sonority of heart tones is greater than in the horizontal position. At the height of inhalation, sonority decreases, while exhalation (as well as during physical and emotional stress) it increases.

Extracardiac factors also include pathological processes of non-cardiac origin, for example, with a tumor of the posterior mediastinum, with a high standing of the diaphragm (with ascites, in pregnant women, with moderate obesity), the heart “presses” more against the anterior chest wall, and the sonority of heart tones increases.

The sonority of the heart tones is influenced by the degree of airiness of the lung tissue (the size of the air layer between the heart and the chest wall): with increased airiness of the lung tissue, the sonority of the heart tones decreases (with emphysema), with a decrease in the airiness of the lung tissue, the sonority of the heart sounds increases (with wrinkling of the lung tissue, surrounding the heart).

With cavity syndrome, heart tones can acquire metallic shades (sonority increases) if the cavity is large and the walls are tense.

The accumulation of fluid in the pleural streak and in the pericardial cavity is accompanied by a decrease in the sonority of heart tones. In the presence of air cavities in the lung, pneumothorax, accumulation of air in the pericardial cavity, an increase in the gas bubble of the stomach and flatulence, the sonority of heart tones increases (due to the resonance of sound vibrations in the air cavity).

The intracardiac factors that determine the change in the sonority of heart tones in a healthy person and in extracardiac pathology include the type of cardiohemodynamics, which is determined by:

the nature of the neurovegetative regulation of the cardiovascular system as a whole (the ratio of the tone of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the ANS);

the level of physical and mental activity of a person, the presence of diseases that affect the central and peripheral link of hemodynamics and the nature of its neurovegetative regulation.

There are 3 types of hemodynamics:

eukinetic (normokinetic). The tone of the sympathetic division of the ANS and the tone of the parasympathetic division of the ANS are balanced;

hyperkinetic. The tone of the sympathetic division of the ANS predominates. Characterized by an increase in the frequency, strength and speed of contraction of the ventricles, an increase in the speed of blood flow, which is accompanied by an increase in the sonority of heart tones;

hypokinetic. The tone of the parasympathetic division of the ANS predominates. There is a decrease in the sonority of heart tones, which is associated with a decrease in the strength and speed of contraction of the ventricles.

The tone of the ANS changes during the day. During the active time of the day, the tone of the sympathetic division of the ANS increases, and at night - the parasympathetic division.

In cardiac pathology, intracardiac factors include:

change in the speed and strength of contractions of the ventricles with a corresponding change in the speed of blood flow;

a change in the speed of movement of the valves, depending not only on the speed and strength of contractions, but also on the elasticity of the valves, their mobility and integrity;

sash travel distance - distance from. before. Depends on the size of the diastolic volume of the ventricles: the larger it is, the shorter the run distance, and vice versa;

the diameter of the valve opening, the condition of the papillary muscles and the vascular wall.

A change in I and II tones is observed with aortic defects, with arrhythmias, with violations of AV conduction.

With aortic insufficiency, the sonority of the II tone decreases at the base of the heart and the I tone at the top of the heart. The decrease in sonority of the second tone is associated with a decrease in the amplitude of the valvular apparatus, which is explained by a defect in the valves, a decrease in their surface area, as well as incomplete closure of the valves at the time of their slamming. The decrease in the sonority of the I tone is associated with a decrease in valvular oscillations (oscillation - amplitude) of the I tone, which is observed with severe dilatation of the left ventricle in aortic insufficiency (the aortic opening expands, relative mitral insufficiency develops). The muscle component of tone I also decreases, which is associated with the absence of a period of isometric tension, because there is no period of complete closure of the valves.

With aortic stenosis, a decrease in the sonority of I and II tones in all auscultatory points is associated with a significant decrease in the movement of blood flow, which, in turn, is due to a decrease in the rate of contraction (contractility?) of the ventricles working against the narrowed aortic valve. With atrial fibrillation and bradyarrhythmia, an uneven change in the sonority of tones occurs, associated with a change in the duration of diastole and with a change in the diastolic volume of the ventricle. With an increase in the duration of diastole, the volume of blood increases, which is accompanied by a decrease in the sonority of heart sounds in all auscultatory points.

With bradycardia, diastolic overload is observed, therefore, a decrease in the sonority of heart tones in all auscultatory points is characteristic; with tachycardia, diastolic volume decreases and sonority increases.

With the pathology of the valvular apparatus, an isolated change in the sonority of the I or II tone is possible.

With stenosis, AV blockade, AV arrhythmias, the sonority of the I tone increases.

With mitral stenosis, I tone is flapping. This is due to an increase in the diastolic volume of the left ventricle, and since. the load falls on the left ventricle, there is a discrepancy between the force of contractions of the left ventricle and the volume of blood. There is an increase in the distance run, tk. BCC decreases.

With a decrease in elasticity (fibrosis, Sanoz), the mobility of the valves decreases, which leads to a decrease in the sonority of the first tone.

With complete AV blockade, which is characterized by a different rhythm of atrial and ventricular contractions, a situation may arise when the atria and ventricles contract simultaneously - in this case, there is an increase in the sonority of the I tone at the apex of the heart - Strazhesko's "cannon" tone.

An isolated weakening of the sonority of the first tone is observed with organic and relative mitral and tricuspid insufficiency, which is characterized by a change in the cusps of these valves (past rheumatism, endocarditis) - deformation of the cusps, which causes incomplete closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves. As a result, a decrease in the amplitude of the oscillations of the valvular component of the first tone is observed.

With mitral insufficiency, the oscillations of the mitral valve decrease, therefore, the sonority of the first tone at the apex of the heart decreases, and with tricuspid insufficiency, on the basis of the xiphoid process.

Complete destruction of the mitral or tricuspid valve leads to the disappearance of tone I - at the apex of the heart, tone II - in the base of the xiphoid process.

An isolated change in the II tone in the region of the base of the heart is observed in healthy people, with extracardiac pathology and pathology of the cardiovascular system.

A physiological change in the II tone (increased sonority) over the pulmonary artery is observed in children, adolescents, and young people, especially during exercise (a physiological increase in pressure in the ICC).

In older people, the increase in the sonority of the II tone above the aorta is associated with an increase in pressure in the BCC with a pronounced thickening of the vessel walls (atherosclerosis).

Accent II tone over the pulmonary artery is observed in the pathology of external respiration, mitral stenosis, mitral insufficiency, decompensated aortic disease.

The weakening of the sonority of the II tone over the pulmonary artery is determined with tricuspid insufficiency.

Change in the volume of heart sounds. They can occur in amplification or weakening, it can be simultaneously for both tones or in isolation.

Simultaneous weakening of both tones. The reasons:

Excessive development of fat, mammary gland, muscles of the anterior chest wall

Effusive left-sided pericarditis

2. intracardial - a decrease in the contractility of the ventricular myocardium - myocardial dystrophy, myocarditis, myocardiopathy, cardiosclerosis, pericarditis. A sharp decrease in myocardial contractility leads to a sharp weakening of the first tone, in the aorta and LA the volume of incoming blood decreases, which means that the second tone weakens.

Simultaneous volume boost:

Thin chest wall

Wrinkling of lung edges

Increasing the standing of the diaphragm

Volumetric formations in the mediastinum

Inflammatory infiltration of the edges of the lungs adjacent to the heart, as dense tissue conducts sound better.

The presence of air cavities in the lungs located near the heart

An increase in the tone of the sympathetic NS, which leads to an increase in the rate of myocardial contraction and tachycardia - emotional arousal, after heavy physical exertion, thyrotoxicosis, in the initial stage of arterial hypertension.

Mitral stenosis - flapping I tone. The volume of blood at the end of diastole in the left ventricle decreases, which leads to an increase in the rate of myocardial contraction, and the leaflets of the mitral valve thicken.

Atrial fibrillation, tachy form

Incomplete AV blockade, when the P-th contraction coincides with the F-s contraction - Strazhesko's cannon tone.

Mitral or tricuspid valve insufficiency. The absence of p-yes closed valves leads to a sharp weakening of the valve and muscle component

Aortic valve insufficiency - more blood enters the ventricles during diastole - increased preload

Stenosis of the aortic orifice - I tone weakens due to severe hypertrophy of the LV myocardium, a decrease in the rate of myocardial contraction due to the presence of increased afterload

Diseases of the heart muscle, accompanied by a decrease in myocardial contractility (myocarditis, dystrophy, cardiosclerosis), but if cardiac output decreases, then II tone also decreases.

If at the top of the I tone in volume it is equal to the II or louder than the II tone - weakening of the I tone. I tone is never analyzed on the basis of the heart.

Change the volume of the second tone. The pressure in the LA is less than the pressure in the aorta, but the aortic valve is located deeper, so the sound above the vessels is the same in volume. In children and in people under 25 years of age, there is a functional increase (accent) of the II tone over LA. The reason is a more superficial location of the LA valve and a higher elasticity of the aorta, lower pressure in it. With age, blood pressure in the BCC increases; LA moves backward, the accent of the second tone over LA disappears.

Causes of amplification of the II tone over the aorta:

Atherosclerosis of the aorta, due to sclerotic thickening of the valves, an increase in the II tone above the aorta appears - Bittorf's tone.

Causes of increased tone II over LA - increased pressure in the BCC with mitral heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, primary pulmonary hypertension.

Above the aorta: - insufficiency of the aortic valve - no period of closing (?) of the valve

Aortic stenosis - as a result of a slow increase in pressure in the aorta and a decrease in its level, the mobility of the aortic valve decreases.

Extrasystole - due to a shortening of diastole and a small cardiac output of blood into the aorta

Severe arterial hypertension

The reasons for the weakening of the II tone in the LA are insufficiency of the LA valves, stenosis of the LA mouth.

Splitting and bifurcation of tones.

In healthy people, there is asynchronism in the work of the right and left ventricles in the heart, normally it does not exceed 0.02 seconds, the ear does not catch this time difference, we hear the work of the right and left ventricles as single tones.

If the time of asynchronism increases, then each tone is perceived not as a single sound. On FKG it is registered within 0.02-0.04 sec. Bifurcation - a more noticeable doubling of tone, asynchronism time 0.05 sec. and more.

The reasons for the bifurcation of tones and splitting are the same, the difference is in time. Functional bifurcation of tone can be heard at the end of exhalation, when intrathoracic pressure rises and blood flow from the ICC vessels to the left atrium increases, resulting in increased blood pressure on the atrial surface of the mitral valve. This slows down its closure, which leads to the auscultation of splitting.

Pathological bifurcation of the I tone occurs as a result of a delay in the excitation of one of the ventricles during the blockade of one of the legs of the His bundle, this leads to a delay in the contraction of one of the ventricles or with ventricular extrasystole. Severe myocardial hypertrophy. One of the ventricles (more often the left - with aortic hypertension, aortic stenosis) myocardium is excited later, more slowly reduced.

Functional bifurcation is more common than the first, occurs in young people at the end of inhalation or the beginning of exhalation, during exercise. The reason is the non-simultaneous end of the systole of the left and right ventricles. Pathological bifurcation of the II tone is more often noted on the pulmonary artery. The reason is the increase in pressure in the IWC. As a rule, amplification of the II tone on the LH is accompanied by a bifurcation of the II tone on the LA.

In systole, additional tones appear between I and II tones, this, as a rule, a tone called a systolic click, appears when the mitral valve prolapses (sagging) due to prolapse of the mitral valve leaf during systole into the LA cavity - a sign of connective tissue dysplasia. It is often heard in children. The systolic click may be early or late systolic.

In diastole during systole, III pathological tone appears, IV pathological tone and the tone of the opening of the mitral valve. III pathological tone occurs after 0.12-0.2 sec. from the beginning of the II tone, that is, at the beginning of diastole. Can be heard at any age. It occurs in the phase of rapid filling of the ventricles in the event that the ventricular myocardium has lost its tone, therefore, when the cavity of the ventricle is filled with blood, its muscle easily and quickly stretches, the ventricular wall vibrates, and a sound is produced. Auscultated in severe myocardial damage (acute myocardial infections, severe myocarditis, myocardial dystrophy).

Pathological IV tone occurs before tone I at the end of diastole in the presence of crowded atria and a sharp decrease in ventricular myocardial tone. The rapid stretching of the wall of the ventricles that have lost their tone, when a large volume of blood enters them in the atrial systole phase, causes myocardial fluctuations and an IV pathological tone appears. III and IV tones are heard better at the apex of the heart, on the left side.

The gallop rhythm was first described by Obraztsov in 1912 - "the cry of the heart for help." It is a sign of a sharp decrease in myocardial tone and a sharp decrease in the contractility of the ventricular myocardium. So named because it resembles the rhythm of a galloping horse. Signs: tachycardia, weakening of I and II tone, the appearance of pathological III or IV tone. Therefore, a protodiastolic (three-part rhythm due to the appearance of the III tone), presystolic (III tone at the end of diastole about the IV pathological tone), mesodiastolic, summative (with severe tachycardia III and IV tones merge, are heard in the middle of diastole summation III tone).

The tone of the opening of the mitral valve is a sign of mitral stenosis, appears after 0.07-0.12 seconds from the beginning of the II tone. With mitral stenosis, the leaflets of the mitral valve are fused together, forming a kind of funnel through which blood from the atria enters the ventricles. When blood flows from the atria into the ventricles, the opening of the mitral valve is accompanied by a strong tension of the valves, which contributes to the appearance of a large number of vibrations that form sound. Together with a loud, clapping I tone, II tone on the LA forms a “quail rhythm” or “mitral stenosis melody”, best heard at the apex of the heart.

Pendulum-like rhythm - a heart melody is relatively rare, when both phases are balanced due to diastole and the melody resembles the sound of a swinging clock pendulum. In more rare cases, with a significant decrease in myocardial contractility, systole may increase and the pop duration becomes equal to diastole. It is a sign of a sharp decrease in myocardial contractility. Heart rate can be anything. If the pendulum rhythm is accompanied by tachycardia, this indicates embryocardia, that is, the melody resembles a fetal heartbeat.

Heart sounds are waves of sound that occur when all the heart valves work and myocardial muscle contracts. These heart sounds are heard with a stethoscope and can also be heard when the ear is placed against the chest.

When listening to a specialized specialist, the doctor applies the head (membrane) of the phonendoscope instrument to those places where the heart muscle is located closest to the sternum.

Cardiac cycle

Each element of the heart organ works smoothly and in a certain sequence. Only such work can guarantee normal blood flow in the vascular system.

Cardiac cycle

When the heart is in diastole, the blood pressure in the heart chambers is lower than in the aorta. Blood enters first into the atria and then into the ventricles.

When, during diastole, the ventricle is filled with biological fluid by three-quarters of its volume, atrial contraction occurs, in which the chamber is filled with the rest of the volume of blood.

This action in medicine is called atrial systole.

When the ventricles are full, the valve that separates the ventricles from the atria closes.

The volume of biological fluid stretches the walls of the chambers of the ventricles, and the walls of the chamber quickly and sharply contract - this action is called left-sided and right-sided ventricular systole.

When blood pressure in the ventricles becomes higher than in the bloodstream, then the aortic valve opens, and blood under pressure passes into the aorta.

The ventricles become empty and go into diastole. When all the blood has entered the aorta, the semilunar valves close and no blood flows back into the ventricle.

Diastole in time lasts 2 times longer than systole, so this time is enough for the rest of the myocardium.

The principle of formation of tones

All movements in the work of the heart muscle, heart valves, blood flow when injected into the aorta, create sounds.

There are 4 tones in the heart organ:

  • № 1 - sound from the contraction of the heart muscle;
  • № 2 — sound from the operation of the valves;
  • № 3 - with ventricular diastole (this tone may not be, but according to the norm it is allowed);
  • № 4 - with atrial contraction at the time of systole (also this tone may not be heard).

The valve that makes the sound

Tone number 1 consists of:

  • Trembling of the muscles of the heart;
  • Sound from the slamming of the walls of the valve between the atrium and ventricle;
  • Trembling of the walls of the aorta at the time of entry into it of the flow of blood.

According to the normative indicator, this is the loudest among all the tones of the heart organ that are heard.

The second manifests itself, after a short period of time, after the first was.

This is due to:

  • Actuation of the valve of the aortic valve;
  • Activation of the walls of the pulmonary valve.

Tone number 2. Not as sonorous as the first one and is heard between the second ribs on the left side of the heart region, and can also be heard on the right. The pause in sounds after the second is longer, because there is a knock at the moment of diastole of the heart.

Tone number 3. This tone is not included in the number of mandatory knocks for the cardiac cycle. But according to the norm, this third tone is allowed, and may be absent.

The third occurs as a result of when the walls of the left ventricle shudder during diastole, while filling it with biological fluid.

In order to hear it during auscultation, you must have extensive experience in listening. Non-instrumentally, this tone can only be heard in a quiet room, and also in children, because the heart and chest are close.

Tone number 4. As well as the third does not apply to the obligatory in the cardiac cycle. If this tone is absent, this is not a pathology of the myocardium.

With auscultation, it can only be heard in children and in the younger generation of people with a thin chest.

The reason for the 4th tone is the sound that occurs during the systolic state of the atrium, at the moment when the left and right ventricles are filled with biological fluid.

During the normal operation of the cardiac organ, rhythm occurs after the same time intervals. At a normal rate in a healthy organ, 60 beats per minute, the time interval between the first and second is 0.30 seconds.

The time interval from the second to the first is 0.60 seconds. Each tone is clearly audible, they are loud and clear. The first sounds low and it is long.

The beginning of this first tone begins after a pause. The second sounds higher in sound and begins after a short pause, and it is slightly shorter in length than the first.

The tones of the third number and the fourth are heard after the second oh, at the moment when the diastole of the cardiac cycle occurs.

How are heart sounds heard?

For instrumental listening to heart tones, as well as listening to the work of the bronchi, lungs, and when measuring blood pressure using the Korotkov method, a phonendoscope (stethoscope) is used.


The phonendoscope consists of: an olive, a bow, a sound wire and a head (with a membrane).

To listen to heart sounds, a cardiological type of phonendoscope is used - with increased sound pickup by the membrane.

The sequence of listening to heart sounds during auscultation

During auscultation, the valves of the heart organ are listened to, their work and rhythm.

Localization of tones when listening to valves:

  • Bicuspid valve at the top of the heart organ;
  • Listening to the aortic valve under the second rib on the right side of the cardiac localization;
  • Listening to the work of the valve of the pulmonary artery;
  • Recognition of the tonality of the tricuspid valve.

Listening to cardiac impulses and their tonality during auscultation takes place in a certain sequence:

  • Locality of the apical systole;
  • Second intercostal space on the right side of the edge of the chest;
  • Second intercostal space on the left side of the chest;
  • Bottom of the sternum (locality of the xiphoid process);
  • Erb-Botkin localization point.

This sequence, when listening to heart sounds, is due to damage to the valves of the cardiac organ and will allow you to correctly listen to the tone of each valve and identify the performance of the myocardium. Coherence in the work is immediately reflected in the tones and their rhythm.

Changes in heart sounds

Heart tones are waves of sound, so any deviation or disturbance indicates a pathology of one of the structures of the heart organ.

In medicine, the causes of deviations from the normative indicators of the sound of tones are distinguished:

  • Physiological changes- these are the reasons that are associated with the physiology of the person whose heart is being listened to. Not clear sounds will be when listening to a person who is obese. Excess fat on the chest prevents good hearing;
  • Pathological change in knocking- these are deviations in the work of the cardiac structures or damage to parts of the cardiac organ, as well as the arteries extending from it. The loud knock comes from the fact that the walls of the damper are compacted, become less elastic and make a loud sound when closed. There is a click on the first knock.

Muffled Tone Sounds

Muted knocks are sounds that are not clear and hard to hear.

Pericarditis disease

Weak sounds can be a sign of pathology in the heart organ:

  • Diffuse destruction of myocardial tissue - myocarditis;
  • Attack of myocardial infarction;
  • Disease cardiosclerosis;
  • disease pericarditis;
  • Pathology in the lungs - emphysema.

If there is a weakening of the first knock or the second, and audibility during auscultation in different directions is not the same.

This then expresses the following pathology:

  • If there is a muffled sound from above the heart organ, then this indicates that pathology is developing - myocarditis, myocardial sclerosis, as well as its partial destruction and valve insufficiency;
  • A deaf sound in the place of the 2nd hypochondrium indicates that there is a malfunction in the aortic valve type, or stenosis of the aortic walls, in which the compacted walls do not have the possibility of elastic stretching;

Some changes in the tone of heart sounds have specific characteristic accents and have a specific name.

With mitral valve stenosis, a sound occurs - the quail rhythm is called, where the first knock is heard like cotton and the second immediately occurs.

After the second, an echo of an additional tone occurs, which is characteristic of this pathology.

If the pathology of the myocardium has passed into a severe degree of the course of the disease, then a three-stroke or four-stroke sound occurs - the gallop rhythm. With this pathology, the biological fluid stretches the walls of the ventricular chambers, which leads to additional sounds in the rhythm.

gallop rhythm

  • The joint combination of the first, second and third is the proto-diastolic rhythm;
  • The simultaneous combination of the first tone, the second and the fourth is the presystolic rhythm;
  • Quadruple rhythm is a combination of all four tones;
  • The total rhythm in tachycardia is the audibility of four tones, but at the time of diastole, the third and 4 merge into one sound.

Enhanced Tone Sounds

An increase in heart sounds is heard in children and in thin people, because their chest is thin, which makes it possible for a phonendoscope to hear better, since the membrane is located next to the heart organ.

mitral valve stenosis

If a pathology is observed, then this is expressed in the brightness and loudness of tones and in a specific localization:

  • The loud and sonorous first in the upper part of the cardiac organ speaks of the pathology of the atrioventricular left-sided valve, namely, in the narrowing of the walls of the valve. Such a sound is expressed with tachycardia, sclerosis of the mitral valve, because the valve flaps have become thickened and have lost their elasticity;
  • The second sound in this place means a high level of blood pressure, which is reflected in the small blood circle. This pathology leads to the fact that the valve flaps on the pulmonary artery quickly close because they have lost elasticity;
  • A loud and sonorous sound in the second hypochondrium indicates the pathology of high aortic pressure, stenosis of the aortic walls, as well as the progression of atherosclerosis.

Arrhythmia of heart sounds

Tones that do not have rhythm (arrhythmia) indicate that there is a clear deviation in the blood-conducting system of the cardiac organ.

Pulsation occurs with a different time interval, because not every contraction in the heart passes through the entire thickness of the myocardium.

Atrioventricular block disease is manifested in the uncoordinated work of the atria and the left-sided and right-sided ventricles, which produces a tone - a cannon-like rhythm.

This tone occurs with simultaneous systole of all cardiac chambers.


Atrioventricular block

Does not have a well-coordinated rhythm and bifurcation of tones. This happens when one tone is divided into 2 short ones. This pathology is due to the fact that the work of the heart valves is not in harmony with the myocardium itself.

The splitting of one tone occurs due to:

  • The mitral valve and the tricuspid valve do not close at the same time. This occurs with disease tricuspid tricuspid stenosis of the tricuspid valve, or with stenosis of the walls of the mitral valve;
  • The conduction of electrical impulses by the heart muscle to the ventricles and atria is impaired. With insufficient conductivity, arrhythmia occurs in the work of the ventricular chambers and the atrial chamber.

The arrhythmia and delimitation of the second number of knocks, when the dampers slam shut at different times, indicates abnormalities in the heart.

In the system of coronary vessels:

  • High blood pressure in the pulmonary circulation, provokes oxygen starvation;
  • Pronounced arterial hypertension (hypertension);
  • Hypertrophy of the walls of the left ventricle, with pathology of the mitral valve, as well as stenosis of this valve. The systole of the mitral valve cusps closes later, resulting in abnormalities in the aortic valve.

In coronary heart disease, the change in tone depends on the stage of the course of the disease and on damage to the myocardium and the condition of the valves.

At the primary stage of the development of the disease, the tones are not strongly deviated from the norm, and the signs of ischemia are mild.

Angina is manifested by seizures. At the time of an attack of angina pectoris, with coronary heart disease (ischemic heart disease), the beat of the heart becomes a little muffled, the rhythm in tones disappears, the gallop rhythm appears.

With further progression of angina pectoris, dysfunction of the heart muscle and valves between the chambers of the myocardium does not occur at the time of an angina attack, but occurs on an ongoing basis.

Conclusion

A change in the rhythm of the beat of the heart is not always a heart disease or a disease of the vascular system of the blood flow, and also irregularity can occur with thyrotoxicosis, infectious diseases - diphtheria.

Many pathologies and viral diseases affect the rhythm of cardiac impulses, as well as the tone of these impulses.

Additional heart sounds also appear not only in heart disease. Therefore, to establish the correct diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo an instrumental study of the myocardium, the vascular system, and also listen to all the tones of the cardiac organ using a phonendoscope.

From early childhood, everyone is familiar with the actions of a doctor when examining a patient, when a heart rhythm is heard using a phonendoscope. The doctor listens with particular attention to heart sounds, especially fearing complications after infectious diseases, as well as complaints of pain in this area.

During normal heart function, the duration of the cycle at rest is about 9/10 of a second, and consists of two stages - the contraction phase (systole) and the rest phase (diastole).

During the relaxation phase, the pressure in the chamber changes to a lesser extent than in the vessels. Fluid under slight pressure is injected first into the atria and then into the ventricles. At the moment of filling the latter by 75%, the atria contract and forcibly push the remaining volume of fluid into the ventricles. At this time, they talk about atrial systole. At the same time, the pressure in the ventricles rises, the valves close and the atrial and ventricular regions are isolated.

Blood presses on the muscles of the ventricles, stretching them, which causes a powerful contraction. This moment is called ventricular systole. After a fraction of a second, the pressure rises so much that the valves open, and the blood flows into the vascular bed, completely freeing the ventricles, in which a period of relaxation begins. At the same time, the pressure in the aorta is so high that the valves close and do not release blood.

The duration of diastole is longer than systole, so there is enough time for the heart muscle to rest.

Norm

The human hearing aid is very sensitive, picking up the most subtle sounds. This property helps doctors determine by the pitch of the sound how serious the disturbances in the work of the heart are. Sounds during auscultation arise due to the work of the myocardium, valve movements, blood flow. Heart sounds normally sound consistently and rhythmically.

There are four main heart sounds:

  1. occurs during muscle contraction. It is created by vibration of a tense myocardium, noise from the operation of valves. Auscultated in the region of the apex of the heart, near the 4th left intercostal space, occurs synchronously with the pulsation of the carotid artery.
  2. occurs almost immediately after the first. It is created due to the slamming of the valve flaps. It is more deaf than the first and is audible from both sides in the second hypochondrium. The pause after the second tone is longer and coincides with diastole.
  3. optional tone, its absence is normally allowed. It is created by the vibration of the walls of the ventricles at the moment when there is an additional blood flow. To determine this tone, you need sufficient listening experience and absolute silence. You can hear it well in children and in adults with a thin chest wall. Fat people have a harder time hearing it.
  4. another optional heart sound, the absence of which is not considered a violation. Occurs when the ventricles fill with blood at the time of atrial systole. Perfectly heard in people of thin build and children.

Pathology

Violations of the sounds that occur during the work of the heart muscle can be caused by various reasons, grouped into two main ones:

  • Physiological when changes are associated with certain characteristics of the patient's health. For example, fat deposits in the listening area impair the sound, so the heart sounds are muffled.
  • Pathological when changes concern various elements of the cardiac system. For example, increased density of the AV cusps adds a click to the first tone and the sound is louder than normal.

Pathologies that occur at work are primarily diagnosed by auscultation by a doctor when examining a patient. By the nature of the sounds, one or another violation is judged. After listening, the doctor must record the description of the heart sounds in the patient's chart.


Heart sounds that have lost the clarity of the rhythm are considered muffled. With the weakening of deaf tones in the region of all auscultation points, it leads to the assumption of the following pathological conditions:

  • serious myocardial damage - extensive, inflammation of the heart muscle, proliferation of connective scar tissue;
  • exudative pericarditis;
  • disorders not associated with cardiac pathologies, for example, emphysema, pneumothorax.

With the weakness of only one tone in any place of listening, the pathological processes leading to this are called more precisely:

  • voiceless first tone, heard at the top of the heart indicates inflammation of the heart muscle, its sclerosis, partial destruction;
  • muffled second tone in the region of the second intercostal space on the right speaks of or narrowing of the mouth of the aorta;
  • muffled second tone in the region of the second intercostal space on the left shows pulmonary valve insufficiency.

There are such changes in the tone of the heart that experts give them unique names. For example, “quail rhythm” - the first clapping tone changes to the second usual one, and then the echo of the first tone is added. Severe myocardial diseases are expressed in a three-membered or four-membered "gallop rhythm", that is, blood overflows the ventricles, stretching the walls, and vibrational vibrations create additional sounds.

Simultaneous changes in all tones at different points are often heard in children due to the peculiarity of the structure of their chest and the proximity of the heart to it. The same can be observed in some adults of the asthenic type.

Typical disturbances are heard:

  • high first tone at the top of the heart appears with the narrowness of the left atrioventricular opening, as well as with;
  • high second tone in the second intercostal space on the left indicates a growing pressure in the pulmonary circulation, so there is a strong flapping of the valve leaflets;
  • high second tone in the second intercostal space on the right shows an increase in pressure in the aorta.

Interruptions in the heart rhythm indicate pathological conditions of the system as a whole. Not all electrical signals pass equally through the thickness of the myocardium, so the intervals between heartbeats are of different duration. With inconsistent work of the atria and ventricles, a "gun tone" is heard - a simultaneous contraction of the four chambers of the heart.

In some cases, auscultation of the heart shows a separation of tone, that is, the replacement of a long sound with a pair of short ones. This is due to a violation of the consistency in the work of the muscles and valves of the heart.


Separation of the 1st heart sound occurs for the following reasons:

  • closure of the tricuspid and mitral valve occurs in a temporary gap;
  • contraction of the atria and ventricles occurs at different times and leads to a violation of the electrical conductivity of the heart muscle.
  • Separation of the 2nd heart sound occurs due to the difference in the time of slamming of the valve leaflets.

This condition indicates the following pathologies:

  • excessive increase in pressure in the pulmonary circulation;
  • proliferation of tissues of the left ventricle with mitral valve stenosis.

With ischemia of the heart, the tone changes depending on the stage of the disease. The onset of the disease is poorly expressed in sound disturbances. In the periods between attacks, deviations from the norm are not observed. The attack is accompanied by a frequent rhythm, showing that the disease is progressing, and the heart sounds in children and adults are changing.

Medical workers pay attention to the fact that changes in heart tones are not always an indicator of cardiovascular disorders. It happens that a number of diseases of other organ systems become the causes. Muffled tones, the presence of additional tones indicates such diseases as endocrine diseases, diphtheria. An increase in body temperature is often expressed in violation of the tone of the heart.

A competent doctor always tries to collect a complete history when diagnosing a disease. In addition to listening to heart sounds, he interviews the patient, carefully looks through his card, prescribes additional examinations according to the alleged diagnosis.

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