Valve regurgitation (aka valve incompetence, valve insufficiency) is a heart valve does not close properly, causing back flow of blood [in the opposite direction from normal].
Patient information
What is valve regurgitation?
It's where a valve doesn't close properly. This makes it so blood flows back, during that time whe it's supposed to close.
Dx
Murmur, heard during supposed valve closing, because the valve doesn't close properly. So this incldues:
Systolic murmur (i.e. after S1, for the ventricular pump, when the mitral/tricuspid valves close), which thus refers to mitral or tricuspid regurgitation
Diastolic murmur (i.e. after S2, for the atrial pump, when the aortic/pulmonary valves close), which thus refers to aortic or pulmonary regurgitation
Patient information
How do you know if a valve doesn't close properly?
When the valve is supposed to be closed, there's a slight gap, which makes a whooshing sound, similar to how wind instruments create sound. So in systole, when the bottom parts of the heart pump, and the mitral/tricuspid valves are supposed to be closed, stuff will leak. So a systolic murmur means mitral or tricuspid regurgitation. Diastolic murmur therefore is the opposite, and means an aortic or pulmonary regurgitation.
Classification
Aortic regurgitation, which is backflow of blood from the aorta into the L ventricle, due to insufficiency of the aortic semilunar valve, which may be chronic or acute
Mitral regurgitation, which is backflow of blood from the L ventricle into the L atrium, due to insufficiency of the mitral valve. It may be acute or chronic, and is usually due to mitral valve prolapse, rheumatic heart disease, or a complication of cardiac dilatation
Pulmonary regurgitation, which is backflow of blood from the pulmonary artery into the R ventricle, owing to insufficiency of the pulmonic semilunar valve
Tricuspid regurgitation, which is backflow of blood from the R ventricle into the R atrium, due to insufficiency of the tricuspid valve
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