Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 1, 2025

Murine Fetal Echocardiography
08:04

Murine Fetal Echocardiography

Published on: February 15, 2013

17.3K

Early diastolic heart sounds caused by the atrial kick

Kinan Bachour1, Eric Mendez2, Samuel Jackson3

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology : the Official Journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc
|March 7, 2024
PubMed

Insights

This study discusses asymptomatic bradycardia in an elderly male, revealing Mobitz type I heart block. The case highlights an unusual early diastolic heart sound linked to Wenckebach phenomenon.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • An 81-year-old male with significant comorbidities including coronary artery disease, hypertension, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and chronic kidney disease presented with asymptomatic bradycardia.
  • The patient's medical history indicated a complex cardiovascular profile, necessitating a thorough diagnostic approach.

Observation:

  • Physical examination revealed an unusual early diastolic heart sound, a finding not typically associated with asymptomatic bradycardia.
  • The presence of this sound prompted further investigation into its underlying cause.

Findings:

  • A 12-lead electrocardiogram confirmed sinus bradycardia with a markedly prolonged PR interval and second-degree atrioventricular block, specifically Mobitz type I (Wenckebach).
  • The study reviews the differential diagnosis for early diastolic heart sounds, emphasizing their potential association with specific conduction abnormalities.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of correlating physical exam findings, such as early diastolic sounds, with electrocardiographic evidence of heart block.
  • Understanding this association can aid in the diagnosis and management of Wenckebach phenomenon and related cardiac conditions.

Keywords:
atrioventricular blockdiastolic heart soundsthird heart sound (S3)

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Advancing Neonatal Cardiac Diagnostics with Echocardiography-Derived Blood Speckle Imaging07:13

Author Spotlight: Advancing Neonatal Cardiac Diagnostics with Echocardiography-Derived Blood Speckle Imaging

Published on: December 22, 2023

1.4K
Transthoracic Echocardiographic Examination in the Rabbit Model14:46

Transthoracic Echocardiographic Examination in the Rabbit Model

Published on: June 1, 2019

12.5K

Related Concept Videos

Cardiovascular System Abnormal Findings II: Auscultation01:25

Cardiovascular System Abnormal Findings II: Auscultation

Auscultation, an essential part of a heart examination, is done using a stethoscope. It provides crucial information about heart function and possible heart problems. Due to heart problems, abnormal sounds can be heard during systole or diastole. These sounds include S3 and S4 gallops, opening snaps, systolic clicks, and murmurs.
Abnormal Heart Sounds
Gallops:
148
Heart Sounds01:15

Heart Sounds

Heart sounds are generated by the turbulence in blood flow due to the closing of heart valves. These sounds are best perceived slightly away from the valves, where the blood flow disseminates the sound.
Auscultation is the process of listening to these internal body sounds using a stethoscope. The heart produces four types of sounds, but only two—S1 and S2—can usually be heard with a stethoscope.
S1, also known as the "lub" sound, is caused by the closure of atrioventricular (A-V)...
1.9K
Assessment of the Cardiovascular System IV: Auscultation01:25

Assessment of the Cardiovascular System IV: Auscultation

Cardiac auscultation is a clinical skill used to assess heart function and detect abnormalities. It involves listening to heart sounds at specific anatomical locations through a stethoscope.
Normal Heart Sounds
S1 (First Heart Sound)-
S1 is made by the closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves (atrioventricular valves), marking the beginning of systole.
S2 (Second Heart Sound)-
S2 is made by the closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves (semilunar valves), marking the end of the systole.
330
Cardiac Cycle01:29

Cardiac Cycle

The cardiac cycle refers to the sequence of events that occur in the heart from the beginning of one heartbeat to the next. It's characterized by alternating periods of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole) of the heart muscles.
During the cardiac cycle, blood flow through the heart is regulated entirely by changing pressure gradients. This sequence of events begins with the heart in a state of total relaxation, known as mid-to-late diastole, during which blood passively flows from...
6.1K
The Cardiac Cycle01:13

The Cardiac Cycle

The heart beats rhythmically in a sequence called the cardiac cycle—a rapid coordination of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole).
The Process
Electrical signals—sent from the sinoatrial (SA) node in the right atrial wall to the atrioventricular (AV) node between the right atrium and right ventricle—cause both atria to simultaneously contract. When the signal reaches the AV node, it pauses for approximately a tenth of a second, allowing the atria to contract and...
88.0K
Korotkoff Sounds01:12

Korotkoff Sounds

Korotkoff sounds are the specific sounds heard while measuring blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer, typically with a stethoscope or a Doppler device. They are named after Russian physician Nikolai Korotkov, who first described them in 1905. These sounds correspond to turbulent blood flow in the artery as the blood pressure cuff is gradually released after inflation.
During blood pressure assessment, inflating the cuff 30 millimeters of mercury above the patient's systolic blood pressure...
3.4K