Flow Murmur

  • Flow murmurs may also be referred to as innocent, physiologic, benign, and systolic flow related.
  • They are typically systolic, short, soft (usually <3/6), crescendo-decrescendo in shape (early-peaking), and heard best over the base of the heart.
  • Flow murmurs in adults are usually the result of hyperdynamic circulation. An increase in blood flow across a structurally normal valve will cause turbulence and an associated murmur.
    • Common causes of hyperdynamic circulation include anemia, fever, exercise, pregnancy, and sepsis.
 

Patient 1:

This is a middle-aged patient with Laennec’s cirrhosis. She was noted to have a flow murmur on examination. Cirrhosis is a common cause of high output physiology.

Flow Murmur

Annotated

Patient 2

This is a middle-aged woman with a flow murmur from cirrhosis.