Aortic regurgitation is best described as which of the following?

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Multiple Choice

Aortic regurgitation is best described as which of the following?

Aortic regurgitation presents with a high-pitched, blowing murmur that occurs in early diastole as blood leaks back from the aorta into the left ventricle. This diastolic flow creates a decrescendo (tapering) murmur best heard along the left sternal border, typically near Erb’s point (around the 3rd–4th left intercostal spaces). The key finding is the timing and quality—diastolic and blowing—not systolic, which helps distinguish AR from conditions like mitral regurgitation (which is a systolic murmur heard at the apex) or a PDA (which is a continuous murmur). While descriptions can vary slightly in exact location, the essential feature is a diastolic murmur heard best along the left sternal border.

Aortic regurgitation presents with a high-pitched, blowing murmur that occurs in early diastole as blood leaks back from the aorta into the left ventricle. This diastolic flow creates a decrescendo (tapering) murmur best heard along the left sternal border, typically near Erb’s point (around the 3rd–4th left intercostal spaces). The key finding is the timing and quality—diastolic and blowing—not systolic, which helps distinguish AR from conditions like mitral regurgitation (which is a systolic murmur heard at the apex) or a PDA (which is a continuous murmur). While descriptions can vary slightly in exact location, the essential feature is a diastolic murmur heard best along the left sternal border.

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