Is S4 heart sound bad?

The third and fourth heart sound (S3 and S4) are two abnormal heart sound components which are proved to be indicators of heart failure during diastolic period.

What does S4 signify what cardiac findings will you expect to find in a hypertensive?

An abnormal S4 sound denotes stiff, hypertrophic ventricles and is very specific to hypertensive heart disease. An abnormal S3 indicates thin, eccentric hypertrophy associated with systolic heart failure.

What causes S4 in aortic stenosis?

A prominent S4 can be present and is due to forceful atrial contraction into a hypertrophied left ventricle. The presence of an S4 in a young patient with aortic stenosis indicates significant aortic stenosis, but with aortic stenosis in an elderly person, this is not necessarily true.

Is 4th heart sound normal?

CLINICAL PEARL: A S4 heart sound is often a sign of diastolic heart failure, and it is rarely a normal finding (unlike a S3). Like S3, the S4 sound is low pitched and best heard at the apex with the patient in the left lateral decubitus position.

Is S4 associated with MI?

An S4 may be present in the early phases of acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina14, 15, but would not be present in patients with coronary artery disease without acute ischemia or left ventricular dysfunction16.

What causes a 4th heart sound?

The fourth heart sound (S4), also known as the “atrial gallop,” occurs just before S1 when the atria contract to force blood into the left ventricle. If the left ventricle is noncompliant, and atrial contraction forces blood through the atrioventricular valves, a S4 is produced by the blood striking the left ventricle.

What S4 means?

S4 is a presystolic heart sound commonly associated with reduced ventricular compliance. Auscultation of an S4 is characterized by a low frequency sound, best heard at the apex with the stethoscope bell, with the patient in the left lateral decubitus position.

When do you hear S4?

Why is S4 associated with aortic stenosis?