Hearing Little Hearts: How to Identify and Assess Pediatric Murmurs in Primary Care

Pediatric cardiologist Nicole Cresalia, MD, presents keys to relating the various sounds coming through your stethoscope to what’s happening in the heart of an individual infant or child. Diagramming the heartbeat cycle, she illuminates when an abnormality is potentially serious. She then breaks down murmur types and grades, shows auscultation points on the thorax, offers tips for confirming your suspicions, and explains when referral is warranted.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize that auscutlation is just one component of the pediatric cardiac exam
• Understand the physiology and pathophysiology behind each of the heart sounds, clicks, rubs, and murmurs
• Identify common murmurs in the primary care setting
• Recognize indications for cardiology referral based on auscutlation findings