Continuous murmurs
Encyclopedia
Heart murmurs are most frequently organized by timing, into systolic heart murmur
s and diastolic heart murmur
s. However, continuous murmurs can not be directly placed into either category.
These murmurs are due to blood flow from a high pressure chamber or vessel to a lower pressure system.
Systolic heart murmur
Systolic heart murmurs are heart murmurs heard during systole.They can be classified by when the murmur begins and ends, between S1 and S2.Many involve stenosis of the semilunar valves or regurgitation of the atrioventricular valves.-Types:...
s and diastolic heart murmur
Diastolic heart murmur
Diastolic heart murmurs are heart murmurs heard during diastole.Diastolic murmurs start at or after S2 and end before or at S1.Many involve stenosis of the atrioventricular valves or regurgitation of the semilunar valves.-Types:...
s. However, continuous murmurs can not be directly placed into either category.
These murmurs are due to blood flow from a high pressure chamber or vessel to a lower pressure system.
- Patent ductus arteriosusPatent ductus arteriosusPatent ductus arteriosus is a congenital disorder in the heart wherein a neonate's ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth. Early symptoms are uncommon, but in the first year of life include increased work of breathing and poor weight gain...
. PDA is an abnormal connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, which normally should be closed in infancy. Since aortic pressure is higher than pulmonary pressure, a continuous murmur occurs. This murmur is often described as a machinery murmur, or Gibson's murmur. This is named for George Alexander Gibson, who characterized it in 1898.
- Aortopulmonary windowAortopulmonary windowAortopulmonary window also refers to a congenital cardiac defect called aortopulmonary septal defect. There is a deficiency in the septum between the aorta and pulmonary artery, resulting in a communication between the two....
.
- shuntShunt (medical)In medicine, a shunt is a hole or a small passage which moves, or allows movement of fluid from one part of the body to another. The term may describe either congenital or acquired shunts; and acquired shunts may be either biological or mechanical.* Cardiac shunts may be described as...
s. Usually a left to right shunt through a small atrial septal defect in the presence of mitral valve obstruction.