Heart murmurs in infants and children.

A system is presented for evaluation of heart murmurs in infants and children. The system places emphasis on identification of functional murmurs, which the physician encounters so frequently in daily practice. A three-part approach is presented which includes: (1) evaluation of cardiovascular status, (2) assessment of the heart murmur, and (3) decision regarding the need for further evaluation. This approach relieves the physician of the necessity to remember the multiple details of the many congenital cardiac lesions, and requires only the knowledge of a few easily remembered details about functional murmurs. The system enables the physician to confidently distinguish organic and functional murmurs and to decide which children need further evaluation and referral to the pediatric cardiologist.