Cardiac murmurs can be classified into the following murmurs according to their temporal occurrence within the cardiac cycle (as a function of systole or diastole):
| Systolic heart murmurs |
- A distinction is made between expulsion and return murmurs.
|
| Diastolic heart murmur |
- A distinction is made between diastolic return flow murmurs and diastolic filling murmurs.
- They are always organic and therefore pathological (pathological).
|
| Continuous heart murmurs |
- They can be heard both systolic and diastolic (“machine murmur”)
|
Legend
Heart murmurs are further classified into:
| Accidental heart murmurs |
- There is no pathologic (pathological) abnormality of the cardiovascular system.
- They are considered to be harmless.
|
| Functional heart murmurs |
- Occur as flow phenomena, that is, an increased cardiac output (HZV) flows across the heart valves at an increased flow velocity.
- Most common causes in childhood: fever, anemia (anemia), hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism).
|
| Organic heart murmurs |
- A pathological abnormality of the cardiovascular system is present, e.g.
- Valvular and vascular stenoses (constrictions), valvular insufficiencies (valvular weaknesses).
- Pathologic shunt connections (short-circuit connections between normally separated vessels or chambers of the heart).
|
Overview of the definition of loudness grades of heart murmurs:
| Loudness grade |
Description |
| 1 of 6 |
- Quiet heart murmur
- Is masked by the normal breathing sound
|
| 2 of 6 |
- Clearly audible heart murmur
- Is not masked by the normal breathing sound
|
| 3 of 6 |
- Loud heart murmur
- No palpable (palpable) murmur
|
| 4 of 6 |
- Loud heart murmur
- Gentle buzzing
|
| 5 of 6 |
- Very loud heart murmur
- Clear buzzing, which is auscultable (listenable) by applied finger/hand
|
| 6 of 6 |
- Very loud heart murmur
- Audible without stethoscope
|
