A nurse is assessing a 1-month-old infant with an atrial septal defect (ASD). Which assessment finding does the nurse expect?

Question

A nurse is assessing a 1-month-old infant with an atrial septal defect (ASD).  Which assessment finding does the nurse expect?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

11ecbb05_ca97_d001_b433_8f558333352d_MD0009_00 The nurse would expect to hear a murmur with an atrial septal defect. This defect is an abnormal opening between the right and left atria, allowing blood from the higher pressure left atrium to flow into the lower pressure right atrium. The back-and-forth flow of blood between the 2 chambers causes a vibration that is heard as a murmur on auscultation. ASD has a characteristic systolic murmur with a fixed split second heart sound. Some clients may also have a diastolic murmur. (Option A) Muffled heart tones are not typical in ASD. Muffled heart tones that are heard postsurgical intervention are concerning for cardiac tamponade. (Option C) Atrial and ventricular septal defects are acyanotic congenital heart defects because the blood from the high pressure left side (oxygenated blood) goes to the low pressure right side. (Option D) Weak lower and strong upper extremity pulses are present in coarctation of the aorta. Educational objective: In a child with atrial septal defect, the nurse would expect to hear a heart murmur on auscultation of heart sounds.

A Nurse Is Assessing a 1-Month-Old Infant with an Atrial