The primary purpose of the cardiac examination is to assess the structure and function of the heart as a muscular pump and to evaluate it for possible malfunctions. Because heart disease is so common ...

Table 3 provides typical characteristics of common murmurs. The tricuspid stenosis murmur is diastolic and a soft rumble, heard best at the left lower sternal border. It will increase in intensity ...

In this Journal feature, information about a real patient is presented in stages (boldface type) to an expert clinician, who responds to the information, sharing his or her reasoning with the reader ...

I wish to report yet one more use for the ubiquitous Post-it, this time as an aid in cardiac physical diagnosis. The adhesive on Post-it notes consists of tiny spheres that are sticky individually.

What is a “cannon A wave” in the jugular venous pulse? A “cannon A wave” occurs when the right atrium contracts against a closed tricuspid valve causing a large pulsation to occur in the jugular ...

Jugular vein distention (JVD) causes a bulge in the veins running down the right side of a person’s neck. It results from increased pressure in a large vein called the vena cava. JVD can signify heart ...