Third Heart Sound - Physiologic Auscultation Lesson with Recordings
Virtual Auscultation
The patient's position is supine.
Lesson
The third heart sound is heard early in diastole. Along with the first and second heart sounds, this extra sound creates a gallop cadence and sounds like "Kentucky." In this auscultation example the second heart sound is unsplit to make it easier for you to distinguish the third heart sound. The third heart sound is very low frequency (between 25Hz and 50Hz). Listen with the bell of the stethoscope at the cardiac apex. Asking the patient to lie on his left side will frequently increase the intensity of the third heart sound. A third heart sound is heard on occasion in normal individuals with no cardiac pathology.Waveform
Heart Sounds Video
Authors and Sources
Authors and Reviewers
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Heart sounds by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD and David Lieberman, Developer, Virtual Cardiac Patient.
- Lung sounds by Diane Wrigley, PA
- Respiratory cases: William French
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David Lieberman, Audio Engineering
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Heart sounds mentorship by W. Proctor Harvey, MD
- Special thanks for the medical mentorship of Dr. Raymond Murphy
- Reviewed by Dr. Barbara Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN.
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Last Update: 12/11/2022
Sources
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Heart and Lung Sounds Reference Library
Diane S. Wrigley
Publisher: PESI -
Impact Patient Care: Key Physical Assessment Strategies and the Underlying Pathophysiology
Diane S Wrigley & Rosale Lobo - Practical Clinical Skills: Lung Sounds
- Essential Lung Sounds
Diane S. Wrigley, PA-C
Published by MedEdu LLC - PESI Faculty - Diane S Wrigley
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Case Profiles in Respiratory Care 3rd Ed, 2019
William A.French
Published by Delmar Cengage - Essential Lung Sounds
by William A. French
Published by Cengage Learning, 2011 - Understanding Lung Sounds
Steven Lehrer, MD
- Clinical Heart Disease
W Proctor Harvey, MD
Clinical Heart Disease
Laennec Publishing; 1st edition (January 1, 2009)
