Adult Echocardiography Practice Exam

Which heart sound is typically associated with heart failure?

1. A. s1

2. B. s2

3. C. s3

4. D. s4

The correct answer is: C. s3

The third heart sound, known as S3, is often associated with heart failure and is considered a significant finding in patients with this condition. An S3 sound occurs during the rapid filling phase of the ventricles in early diastole and is indicative of increased blood flow or volume overload in the heart. This sound is heard when the left ventricle is either dilated or under increased pressure, which is common in systolic dysfunction and heart failure. In heart failure, the heart struggles to efficiently pump blood, leading to increased pressure in the heart chambers and sometimes volume overload. The presence of an S3 may suggest that there is an underlying issue with the heart's ability to fill properly, which aligns with the pathophysiology of heart failure. It is often described as a "gallop" rhythm and can provide valuable diagnostic insight. While the other heart sounds, S1, S2, and S4, have their own clinical implications, they are not as directly associated with heart failure as S3. S1 corresponds to the closure of the atrioventricular valves, S2 to the closure of the semilunar valves, and S4 typically indicates a stiff or hypertrophied ventricle rather than the fluid dynamics