What does the term, "fourth heartbeat" mean?!
Question:
What does the term, "fourth heartbeat" mean?
I recently overheard my doctor and he stated that he heard a fourth heatbeat upon examaning me, does anyone know what that means.....he has told me however that everything is fine, and i do not need have any concerns
Answers:
This small detail will help you out:
Fourth heart sound S4
The rare fourth heart sound S4 is sometimes audible in healthy children, but when audible in an adult is called a presystolic gallop. This gallop is a sign of a pathologic state, usually a failing left ventricle. This sound occurs just after atrial contraction ("atrial kick") and is the sound of blood being forced into a stiff/hypertrophic left ventricle. The combined presence of S3 and S4 is a quadruple gallop. At rapid heart rates, S3 and S4 may merge to produce a summation gallop.