Murmurs

15.3.4 Murmurs

Murmurs are graded from soft (lower grade) to loud (higher grade). Murmur grades are written in arabic numerals. Systolic murmurs may be graded from 1 to 6 (see Freeman and Levine⁵) and diastolic murmurs from 1 to 4. Murmurs may also be presented by means of a virgule construction. Examples:

grade 2 systolic murmur

grade 1 diastolic murmur

grade 4/6 systolic murmur

grade 2/4 diastolic murmur

The patient had a grade 3 systolic murmur radiating to the axilla consistent with the diagnosis of mitral valve regurgitation.