Which term is used to describe the S3 gallop?

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An S3 gallop is a protodiastolic sound produced by rapid early filling of a compliant ventricle. It’s the ventricular gallop heard just after S2, often signaling increased volume flow into the ventricle and can indicate volume overload or reduced systolic function, though it can be normal in children and young athletes. In clinical teaching, this gallop is memorably called “Kentucky” because the cadence of the sound resembles the word when heard in early diastole. In contrast, the late diastolic atrial gallop (S4) is associated with a stiff ventricle and is commonly linked with the mnemonic “Tennessee.” Georgia and Alabama aren’t standard terms used for these auscultatory findings. S3 is best heard with the bell at the apex in the left lateral decubitus position, early in diastole, just after S2, and radiates poorly.