A 45-year-old woman comes to the physician because of shortness of breath while lying on her back over the past month. During this period, she has also had several episodes of bloody coughing. The patient reports that she had a heart problem when she was a child that was treated with antibiotics. She emigrated to the US from Russia 5 years ago. There is no family history of serious illness. Pulmonary examination shows crackles at both lung bases. After cardiopulmonary examination, the physician suspects mitral stenosis. Which of the following is the most useful measure for assessing the degree of mitral stenosis?

Question

A 45-year-old woman comes to the physician because of shortness of breath while lying on her back over the past month. During this period, she has also had several episodes of bloody coughing. The patient reports that she had a heart problem when she was a child that was treated with antibiotics. She emigrated to the US from Russia 5 years ago. There is no family history of serious illness. Pulmonary examination shows crackles at both lung bases. After cardiopulmonary examination, the physician suspects mitral stenosis.  Which of the following is the most useful measure for assessing the degree of mitral stenosis?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: The best and most reliable auscultatory indicator of the degree of mitral stenosis is the A2-OS interval.  A shorter interval indicates more severe stenosis.  Other auscultatory findings can include a diastolic rumbling murmur with presystolic accentuation due to left-atrial contraction.

A 45-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Physician Because of Shortness