Tricuspid valve murmurs are characterized by which of the following?

Tricuspid valve murmurs are characterized by which of the following?

• A. Increase in intensity during inspiration
• B. Decrease in intensity during inspiration
• C. Best heard at the apex
• D. Radiates to the neck

Answer: (A)

Right-sided heart murmurs, including those from the tricuspid valve, typically become louder with inspiration. This happens because inspiration increases venous return to the right side of the heart, accentuating any murmur produced there. This relationship is known as Carvallo’s sign. So the best choice is that the murmur increases in intensity during inspiration. The other options don’t fit because a decrease with inspiration would contradict Carvallo’s sign, tricuspid murmurs are not best heard at the apex (that region is more characteristic of mitral murmurs), and radiating to the neck is more typical of aortic murmurs rather than tricuspid.

Right-sided heart murmurs, including those from the tricuspid valve, typically become louder with inspiration. This happens because inspiration increases venous return to the right side of the heart, accentuating any murmur produced there. This relationship is known as Carvallo’s sign.

So the best choice is that the murmur increases in intensity during inspiration. The other options don’t fit because a decrease with inspiration would contradict Carvallo’s sign, tricuspid murmurs are not best heard at the apex (that region is more characteristic of mitral murmurs), and radiating to the neck is more typical of aortic murmurs rather than tricuspid.