[Heart Murmurs--what must the family physician know?].

Cardiac auscultation follows a set procedure and begins on the supine patient. If necessary, certain exercises (inspiration/expiration, Valsalva manoeuvre, squats) can be performed to facilitate the aetiological classification of a heart murmur. Functional and pathological heart murmurs must be differentiated. Factors to be considered in the evaluation of murmurs are loudness, phase of the cycle (systole/diastole), localization, character and radiation of the sound and also the state of health, age and sex of the patient.