A mother is upset because she was told by another provider that her child has a worrisome murmur. You listen near the clavicle and notice both a systolic and diastolic sound. You remember that diastolic murmurs are usually indicative of bad pathology. What would you do next?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The next step would be to examine the patient in the supine position. If this is a venous hum, this murmur will resolve almost completely in the supine position. This is a very common phenomenon in school-aged children, particularly over the clavicle, but can also occur outside this range. Reassurance cannot be given without further examination, especially with a diastolic murmur. Cardiology referral and echocardiography are unnecessary if examination in the supine position reveals no murmur.

A Mother Is Upset Because She Was Told by Another