A patient has a newly diagnosed heart murmur. During the nurses subsequent health education, he asks if he can listen to it. What would be the nurses best response?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Listening with a stethoscope is auscultation and it is done with both the bell and diaphragm. The diaphragm is used to assess high-frequency sounds such as systolic heart murmurs, whereas the bell is used to assess low-frequency sounds such as diastolic heart murmurs. It is also important to provide education whenever possible and actively include the patient in the plan of care. Teaching an interested patient how to listen to a murmur should be encouraged. Many heart murmurs are benign and do not require surgery.

A Patient Has a Newly Diagnosed Heart Murmur