Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T04:00:22.473Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The diagnosis of innocent murmurs in childhood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Najib Advani ,
Samuel Menahem  and
James L. Wilkinson
Najib Advani
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Samuel Menahem*
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
James L. Wilkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
*
Professor S. Menahem, Department of Cardiology, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia Tel. +61–3–9345–5178, Fax: +61–3–9345–6001, E-mail. [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Innocent murmurs are common in childhood. They require accurate diagnosis to avoid unnecessary anxiety and/or restrictions. With this in mind, we studied prospectively children diagnosed by a paediatric cardiologist as having innocent murmurs to review the necessity of investigations in excluding organic abnormalities. We included 63 children in the study. The majority had the so-called Still's, or musical/vibratory murmur. None had abnormal investigations, suggesting that such investigations are largely superfluous for the purpose of diagnosis in those patients with innocent murmurs seen by a paediatric cardiologist. They are often done, nonetheless, as part of the assessment and/or expectations of the parent or the referring physician.

Keywords

Innocent murmurspaediatriccardiologistinvestigations
Type
Original Articles
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , July 2000 , pp. 340 - 342
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Rosenthal, A. How to distinguish between innocent and pathologic murmurs in childhood. Pediatr Clin North Am 1984; 31: 1229–1329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Menahem, S. Innocent and other murmurs in childhood. Australian Doctor, 1997, Nov, 1–8.Google Scholar
Pelech, AN. Evaluation of the paediatric patient with a cardiac murmur. Pediatr Clin Nth Am 1999, 46: 167–188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caceres, CA, Perry, LW Still's murmur. In The Innocent Murmur: A problem in clinical practice. Little Brown and Co, Boston 1967; 115–160.Google Scholar
Still, GF. Common disorders and diseases of childhood. Frowde, Hodder and Stroughton, London 1909; p731.Google Scholar
Fogel, DH. The innocent systolic murmur in children: a clinical study of its incidence and characteristics. Am Heart J 1960; 59: 554–558.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smythe, JF, Teixeira, OHP, Vlad, P, Demers, PP, Feldman, W. Initial evaluation of heart murmurs: Are laboratory test necessary? Pediatrics 1990; 86: 497–500.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geva, T, Hegash, J, Frand, M. Reappraisal of the approach to the child with heart murmur; is echocardiography mandatory? Int J Cardiol 1988. 107–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newburger, JW, Rosenthal, A, Williams, RG, Fellows, K, Miettinen, OS. Non-invasive tests in the initial evaluation of heart murmurs in children. N Eng J Med 1983; 308: 61–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davignon, A, Rantaharju, P, Boisselle, E, Soumis, F, Megelas, M, Choquette, A. Normal ECG standards for infants and children. Ped Cardiol 1979, 1: 123–131CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, NR. Innocent heart murmurs in children—Taking a diagnostic approach. Can Fam Phys 1995; 41: 1507–1512.Google ScholarPubMed
Danforth, DA, Nasir, A, Gumbiner, C. Cost assessment of the evaluation of heart murmurs in children. Pediatrics 1993; 91: 365–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCrindle, BW, Shaffer, KM, Kan, JS, Zahka, KG, Rowe, SA, Kidd, L. An evaluation of parental concerns and misperceptions about heart murmurs. Clin Pediatr 1995; 25–31CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed