What are the synonyms for innocent murmur (still's murmur)?

From the Guidelines

Synonyms for "innocent murmur" or "Still's murmur" include pathologic murmur, Still’s murmur, venous hum, innocent pulmonary systolic murmur, carotid bruit, physiologic pulmonary artery stenosis, and mammary souffle, as defined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association task force on clinical data standards 1. These terms all refer to a faint heart sound heard during auscultation that is typically benign and often doesn't require treatment. A still murmur is usually grade 1 or 2 on the 6-point murmur intensity scale, meaning it's barely audible even in a quiet room. Common causes include:

• Physiological flow murmurs
• Small atrial or ventricular septal defects
• Mild pulmonic stenosis While generally harmless, a doctor should evaluate any new heart murmur. No specific medication or treatment is typically needed for a still murmur alone, but regular follow-ups may be recommended to monitor for any changes. Understanding these synonyms helps patients and healthcare providers communicate more effectively about this common cardiac finding. The evaluation of the patient with a heart murmur may vary greatly depending on many considerations, including the timing of the murmur in the cardiac cycle, its location and radiation, and its response to various physiological maneuvers 1.

From the Research

Innocent Murmur Synonyms

The term "innocent murmur" is often used interchangeably with other terms, including:

• Still's murmur 2
• Functional murmur 3
• Physiologic murmur (not explicitly mentioned in the provided studies, but commonly used in medical literature)

Characteristics of Innocent Murmurs

Innocent murmurs are typically described as:

• Minor (1/6 - 2/6) 4
• Crescendo-decrescendo 4
• Mid-systolic 4
• Position-dependent 4
• Without radiation 4

Distinguishing Innocent from Organic Murmurs

A detailed history and physical examination can help discriminate innocent from organic murmurs 4. However, the ability of the cardiac examination to assess the exact cause of the murmur is limited, especially if more than one lesion is present 3. Echocardiography can be useful in evaluating systolic murmurs of unknown cause 3.

Relation to Aortic Diameter and Velocity

The origin of Still's innocent murmur is related to a small ascending aortic diameter with concomitant high aortic blood flow velocity 2.