Cardiac Auscultation - Self-Teaching System (STS)

The UTMB STS is a system for individual student self-instruction in cardiac auscultation. This system was developed at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas.

Product Details

The lessons include:

Lesson 1  Introduction to Cardiac Auscultation and Normal Heart Sounds

• Brief history of auscultation

• Generation, transmission and detection of physiologic sound

• Auscultatory anatomical sites

• Clinical characteristics of sound

• Nature and use of the stethoscope

• Clinical maneuvers to improve detection

• Identification of sounds, plus source and characteristics of cardiac sounds

• Generation of first and second heart sounds, S1 and S2

• Sound diagrams

• Positive identification of S1 and S2, systole and diastole, by palpation

• Characteristics of normal S1 and S2

• Review, practice and evaluation

Lesson 2 Normal Variant Cardiac Sounds

• Demographics of cardiac sound

• Normal variations in amplitude and pitch of S1 and S2

• Inspiratory splitting of S1 and S2

• Close splitting of S1

• Normal third heart sounds, S3

• Innocent ejection murmurs

• Summary, practice and evaluation

Lesson 3  Abnormal Heart Sounds

• The source and characteristics of each sound is described

• Abnormal variations in pitch and amplitude of S1 and S2

• Valve opening sounds (ejection sounds, opening snaps, systolic clicks)

• Third and fourth heart sounds, S3 and S4

• Summary practice and self evaluation

Lesson 4  Murmurs

• Clinical demographics of murmurs

• Origin of murmurs

• Classification of murmurs

• Flow murmurs

  1. Ejection

  2. Classification

• Stenotic murmurs

  1. Aortic stenosis and pulmonic stenosis

  2. Mitral stenosis and triscuspid stenosis

• Retrograde flow murmurs

  1. Aortic and pulmonic regurgitation

  2. Mitral and triscuspid regurgitation

• Mitral valve prolapse

• Septal defects

  1. Ventricular septal defects

  2. Patent ductus arteriosus

• Friction rubs

• Summary, practice and self-evaluation

• Features