Your patient has a newly diagnosed heart murmur. He asks you if he can listen to it. What would be your best response?
A) Listening is called auscultation, is done with the diaphragm, and requires a trained ear to hear a murmur.
B) Listening is called palpation, and I would be glad to help you to palpate your murmur.
C) Heart murmurs are pathologic and may require surgery. If you would like to listen to your murmur, I can provide you with instruction.
D) Listening is called auscultation and should be done with both the bell and diaphragm. If you would like to listen to your murmur, I would be glad to help you.
Ans: D
Feedback: Listening with a stethoscope is auscultation and is done with both the bell and diaphragm. The diaphragm is used to assess high-frequency sounds such as systolic heart murmurs while the bell is used to assess low frequency sounds such as diastolic heart murmurs. It is also important to provide education whenever possible and actively include the patient in the plan of care. Option A is incorrect; teaching an interested patient how to listen to a murmur should be encouraged. Option B is incorrect; listening is not called palpation. Option C is incorrect; most heart murmurs are benign and do not require surgery.
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