Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practice Exam

Which statement about innocent pediatric heart murmurs is true?

They Are Always Loudest At The Neck They Are Systolic In Timing They Always Change With Position They Are Never Heard At The Left Sternal Border

Correct Answer:

They Are Systolic In Timing

Explanation:

Most innocent heart murmurs in children occur during systole, when the ventricle is ejecting blood. This timing reflects normal flow across the valves or great vessels rather than valve disease. Because of this, these murmurs are usually soft and short and do not indicate pathology. They are not reliably loudest at the neck; radiation to the neck can indicate a pathological murmur. They do not always change with position—some may vary, but “always” changing is not accurate. And innocent murmurs can be heard at the left sternal border, so saying they are never heard there is incorrect. Therefore, the true statement is that innocent pediatric murmurs are systolic in timing.

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