• ACC Heart Songs 5: Auscultation Meets Handheld Echo (2019)

  Master Cardiac Auscultation Through Integrated Heart Sounds, Phonocardiography & Handheld Echocardiography

  ACC Heart Songs 5: Auscultation Meets Handheld Echo is an innovative cardiovascular education program developed to enhance and modernize cardiac auscultation skills through the integration of traditional bedside examination techniques with handheld echocardiography.

  Created under the guidance of the American College of Cardiology, this multimedia course combines audio recordings of heart sounds, video demonstrations, phonocardiograms, CT imaging, and color Doppler echocardiography to help learners accurately identify and interpret a broad spectrum of cardiac murmurs and abnormal heart sounds.

  The program is based on the concept that future cardiovascular examination will increasingly combine auscultation with point-of-care imaging. By pairing each heart sound with its corresponding echocardiographic findings, participants gain a deeper understanding of the structural and hemodynamic abnormalities responsible for specific murmurs and cardiac findings.

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  Course Features

  Included Materials

  • Video Lectures

  • Audio Heart Sound Library

  • Handheld Echocardiography Demonstrations

  • Color Doppler Echocardiography Videos

  • Phonocardiograms

  • CT Imaging Correlations

  • Murmur Recognition Training

  • Congenital Heart Disease Audio Cases

  • Repetitive Learning Modules

  • Self-Paced Learning Format

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  Target Audience

  This course is ideal for:

  Physicians

  • Cardiologists

  • Internal Medicine Physicians

  • Family Physicians

  • Emergency Medicine Physicians

  • Hospitalists

  • Pediatricians

  • Cardiology Fellows

  Advanced Practice Providers

  • Nurse Practitioners

  • Physician Assistants

  Trainees

  • Medical Students

  • Residents

  • Fellows

  Allied Health Professionals

  • Cardiac Sonographers

  • Nurses

  • Cardiovascular Technologists

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  Who Will Benefit Most

  Particularly valuable for clinicians seeking:

  • Cardiac Auscultation Training

  • Heart Murmur Recognition

  • Physical Examination Skills

  • Echocardiography Correlation

  • Bedside Cardiology Education

  • Cardiology Board Preparation

  • Handheld Ultrasound Education

  • Clinical Diagnostic Skills Enhancement

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  Program Overview

  Heart Songs 5 was designed to address a well-recognized challenge in cardiovascular medicine: declining proficiency in cardiac auscultation.

  Research has demonstrated that even experienced cardiologists may struggle to accurately identify common and advanced cardiac murmurs. The Heart Songs methodology utilizes repetitive auditory learning reinforced by visual imaging correlations to improve recognition and retention of important heart sounds.

  Each educational module combines auscultatory findings with imaging studies that reveal the underlying pathology, allowing participants to understand not only what a murmur sounds like, but why it occurs.

  The result is a practical and highly effective learning experience that bridges bedside examination and modern cardiovascular imaging.

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  Learning Objectives

  Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Recognize and differentiate normal and abnormal heart sounds

  • Identify common systolic and diastolic murmurs

  • Distinguish third and fourth heart sounds

  • Recognize summation gallops and pericardial rubs

  • Differentiate clinically important valvular murmurs

  • Identify auscultatory findings associated with congenital heart disease

  • Correlate cardiac sounds with echocardiographic findings

  • Improve bedside cardiovascular examination skills

  • Utilize handheld echocardiography to complement physical examination

  • Increase diagnostic confidence during cardiac assessment

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  Core Topics Covered

  Basic Heart Sounds

  Key Topics

  • Normal Heart Sounds

  • First Heart Sound (S1)

  • Second Heart Sound (S2)

  • Physiologic Splitting

  • Abnormal Splitting Patterns

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  Additional Heart Sounds

  Key Topics

  • Third Heart Sound (S3)

  • Fourth Heart Sound (S4)

  • Summation Gallops

  • Pericardial Friction Rubs

  • Clinical Significance

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  Intermediate Murmurs

  Key Topics

  • Functional Murmurs

  • Flow Murmurs

  • Early Valvular Disease

  • Dynamic Auscultation

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  Expert Murmurs

  Key Topics

  • Aortic Stenosis

  • Aortic Regurgitation

  • Mitral Stenosis

  • Mitral Regurgitation

  • Advanced Valve Disease Recognition

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  Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

  Key Topics

  • Dynamic Left Ventricular Outflow Obstruction

  • Characteristic Murmur Findings

  • Echo Correlation

  • Clinical Diagnosis

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  Mitral Valve Prolapse

  Key Topics

  • Mid-Systolic Clicks

  • Late Systolic Murmurs

  • Echocardiographic Features

  • Clinical Interpretation

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  Adult Congenital Heart Disease

  Key Topics

  • Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)

  • Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)

  • Congenital Murmur Recognition

  • Hemodynamic Correlation

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  Handheld Echocardiography Integration

  Auscultation Meets Imaging

  A unique feature of Heart Songs 5 is the integration of bedside auscultation with handheld echocardiography.

  Educational Benefits

  • Visual Understanding of Murmurs

  • Real-Time Structural Correlation

  • Improved Diagnostic Accuracy

  • Enhanced Bedside Assessment Skills

  • Preparation for Modern Cardiovascular Practice

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  Phonocardiography & Imaging Correlation

  Included Visual Enhancements

  • Phonocardiograms

  • Color Doppler Echocardiograms

  • CT Imaging Examples

  • Hemodynamic Illustrations

  • Structural Heart Disease Correlations

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  Educational Highlights

  Evidence-Based Learning Methodology

  Uses psychoacoustic learning principles and repetitive exposure to reinforce recognition of heart sounds.

  Multimedia Approach

  Combines audio, video, imaging, and clinical interpretation into a single educational platform.

  Practical Bedside Application

  Focused on improving real-world patient assessment and diagnostic confidence.

  Future-Oriented Cardiovascular Education

  Prepares clinicians for the growing integration of handheld ultrasound into bedside examinations.

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  Educational Features

  ✔ Comprehensive Heart Sound Library

  ✔ Handheld Echo Integration

  ✔ Color Doppler Echocardiography Correlation

  ✔ Phonocardiogram Review

  ✔ Valvular Heart Disease Recognition

  ✔ Congenital Heart Disease Murmurs

  ✔ Advanced Auscultation Training

  ✔ Evidence-Based Learning Techniques

  ✔ Practical Clinical Application

  ✔ Self-Paced Multimedia Education

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  Why This Course Stands Out

  Unique Integration of Auscultation and Imaging

  Combines traditional physical examination skills with modern echocardiographic technology.

  Highly Practical Learning Format

  Focuses on pattern recognition and immediate clinical applicability.

  Designed for Long-Term Retention

  Utilizes repetition-based educational strategies proven to improve auscultation performance.

  Broad Clinical Relevance

  Useful for students, trainees, primary care clinicians, internists, emergency physicians, and cardiologists.

  Supports Point-of-Care Ultrasound Adoption

  Helps clinicians integrate handheld imaging into routine patient assessment.

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  Clinical & Educational Value

  ACC Heart Songs 5: Auscultation Meets Handheld Echo provides a powerful and innovative approach to cardiovascular education by combining auditory learning with advanced cardiac imaging. Through systematic exposure to heart sounds, murmurs, echocardiographic findings, and structural heart disease correlations, participants develop stronger auscultation skills, enhanced diagnostic accuracy, and greater confidence in bedside cardiovascular assessment.

  

Heart Songs 5 Table of Contents

• Basic Murmurs/Sounds
• Intermediate Murmurs
• Expert Murmurs
• Adult Congenital Murmurs

Date of Release: 3/15/2019