Heart Sounds and Assessment Techniques

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to heart sounds, assessment techniques, and pain assessment tools for infants.

Heart Valves

Structures that open and close to regulate blood flow through the heart.

Diastole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood.

Systole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood out of the chambers.

Murmurs

Abnormal heart sounds caused by turbulent blood flow through the heart's chambers or valves.

Stethoscope

An instrument used to listen to internal sounds of a patient's body, particularly the heart.

Apex

The tip of the heart, located at the left ventricle, where the point of maximal impulse is felt.

Regurgitation

The backflow of blood through a valve due to improper closure.

Thrill

A palpable vibration on the chest wall that indicates turbulent blood flow, often associated with murmurs.

Grade 6 Murmur

An extremely loud murmur that can be heard without a stethoscope and is accompanied by a thrill.

CLINICAL Score - CRIES

A pain assessment tool used for infants to measure pain based on physiological and behavioral indicators.

FLACC Scale

A nonverbal assessment tool for assessing pain in children under 3 years, measuring facial expression, leg movement, activity level, cry, and consolability.

Positioning for Listening

The recommended positions (supine or sitting up) for optimal auscultation with a stethoscope.