Inflammation of the visceral and parietal pericardium causing a coarse grating noise on auscultation is called what?

Inflammation of the visceral and parietal pericardium causing a coarse grating noise on auscultation is called what?

• A. Pericardial friction rub
• B. Murmur of aortic regurgitation
• C. Venous hum
• D. Pectinate sound

Answer: (A)

Inflammation of the pericardial layers makes their surfaces rough and they rub against one another with each heartbeat, producing a scratchy, coarse friction rub. This sound is classically heard best along the left lower sternal border and is often more noticeable when the patient leans forward and exhales. It can be described as a grating or scraping noise and may have components through systole and early diastole as the heart moves. This is distinct from a murmur caused by abnormal valve flow, such as the aortic regurgitation murmur, which is a blowing diastolic murmur heard best along the left sternal border and relates to valve leakage rather than surface rubbing. A venous hum is a continuous murmur-like sound heard over the jugular or upper chest in some children, not due to pericardial inflammation. Pectinate sound is not a standard term for a pericardial finding. So the coarse grating noise from inflamed pericardial surfaces is best described as a pericardial friction rub.

Inflammation of the pericardial layers makes their surfaces rough and they rub against one another with each heartbeat, producing a scratchy, coarse friction rub. This sound is classically heard best along the left lower sternal border and is often more noticeable when the patient leans forward and exhales. It can be described as a grating or scraping noise and may have components through systole and early diastole as the heart moves.

This is distinct from a murmur caused by abnormal valve flow, such as the aortic regurgitation murmur, which is a blowing diastolic murmur heard best along the left sternal border and relates to valve leakage rather than surface rubbing. A venous hum is a continuous murmur-like sound heard over the jugular or upper chest in some children, not due to pericardial inflammation. Pectinate sound is not a standard term for a pericardial finding.

So the coarse grating noise from inflamed pericardial surfaces is best described as a pericardial friction rub.