May 22, 2013

Heart Sound of the Month   

Download the Player program to listen to the heart sounds.

Heart Sounds Contents   [Introduction]   [Answer]  
   

 
Signalment: 9 years old, Castrated male, Domestic Shorthair
Presenting Complaint: Was hit by a car two days ago.
Presenting History

Previously healthy indoor cat that escaped two days ago and was hit by a car. Presented to the veterinary emergency clinic for dehydration, a broken mandible and maggot-infected wounds.

Heart Sounds

You need to download the Player program for proper playback.
 
Download the sound file(s):
File 1: Heart Sound
(Left caudal sternal border)
       
    Auscultation Summary 

File 1: Heart Sound Details
 
  Stethescope Location: Left caudal sternal border   Learn more
 
  Heart Rate   Learn more
  Bradycardia: No    
  Tachycardia: Yes    
  Normal range: Yes    
  Heart Rhythm   Learn more
  Rhythm Character: Regular    
  Premature Beats: No    
  Long Pauses: No    
  Extra Heart Sounds
  Murmur: Yes       Learn more
      Systolic: Yes    
      Diastolic: No    
      Continuous: No    
  Gallop: Yes       Learn more
  Systolic click: No    
  Other sounds: No    
  Lung Sounds
  Not Checked    
  Auscultation Diagnosis
  Soft systolic murmur, gallop and tachycardia 
  Clinical Diagnosis
  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure. Sinus tachycardia. 
 
Comment
  Simultaneous viewing of the ECG and heart sounds confirms that the tachycardia is sinus in origin. Heart rates in excess of 180 bpm and up to 240 bpm are not unusual for stressed cats in a veterinarian's office. A gallop in a cat is typically a S4 gallop, however the heart rate is too fast in this case to distinguish S3 from S4. For more on gallops visit the following page.