SECTRA TABLE WORK: Page 6 of 6
| Using the Draw tool, circle the location of the valves on the surface of the heart. | Tap on image to enlarge |
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| Tap here to check your work. |
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Now you know the anatomical positions of the heart valves. So when auscultating valve sounds, why do you think the stethoscope is placed over areas of the chest wall that differ from the valve location? |
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The stethoscope is placed in areas where the heart sounds are best transmitted through the chest wall. The heart sounds that you hear are vibrations traveling with the flow of blood. Therefore, you listen to heart sounds downstream from the valves' physical location. See the below drawing to understand this phenomenon.
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