Heart Murmurs: Aortic vs Mitral Stenosis

Can you tell the difference between aortic stenosis and mitral stenosis at the bedside? Do you know which meds to give and which to hold for each? Do you know what Providers order for each? Nursing interventions? In this cardiac nursing lesson, you’ll learn how to identify aortic vs mitral stenosis, recognize their characteristic heart murmurs, understand the hemodynamics behind each valve disorder, and connect your assessment findings to practical nursing priorities. We break down why aortic stenosis produces a harsh systolic crescendo-decrescendo murmur and why mitral stenosis causes a low-pitched diastolic rumble. You’ll also hear examples of the heart sounds discussed in the lesson so you can begin connecting murmur timing, location, pitch, and radiation with what is happening inside the heart. This video is designed for nursing students, new graduate nurses, NCLEX candidates, and bedside nurses who want to improve their cardiac assessment and clinical judgment. 👉 Check out SuperNurse.ai to find tons of great nursing education resources designed to help you be the Super Nurse you were born to be! 👉 Find the podcast on The Super Nurse Podcast at    / @thesupernursepodcast   🫀 IN THIS VIDEO, YOU’LL LEARN: • Where to auscultate aortic and mitral valve sounds • How to distinguish a systolic murmur from a diastolic murmur • What aortic and mitral stenosis sound like • Why aortic stenosis increases left ventricular workload • How left ventricular hypertrophy and an S4 heart sound may develop • The classic symptoms associated with severe aortic stenosis • Why mitral stenosis causes left atrial enlargement • How mitral stenosis can contribute to atrial fibrillation and stroke risk • Why pulmonary congestion, crackles, and respiratory symptoms may occur • Which bedside assessments nurses should prioritize • Why preload, blood pressure, oxygenation, and medication response require careful monitoring • When assessment findings should be escalated immediately ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Decoding aortic and mitral stenosis murmurs 00:26 Normal heart sounds: S1 and S2 00:52 What causes a stenotic heart murmur? 01:16 Aortic stenosis murmur and auscultation location 01:49 Left ventricular hypertrophy in aortic stenosis 02:11 Aortic stenosis and the S4 heart sound 02:34 Aortic stenosis symptoms: dyspnea, syncope, and angina 02:58 Mitral stenosis murmur and auscultation technique 03:25 Hemodynamics of mitral stenosis 03:50 Left atrial enlargement, atrial fibrillation, and stroke risk 04:13 Pulmonary congestion and pulmonary edema 04:42 Medication and hemodynamic considerations 05:17 Preload and cardiac output 05:43 Long-term nursing management and patient education 06:02 Daily weights and fluid-retention warning signs 06:28 Final nursing takeaways 🔎 AORTIC VS MITRAL STENOSIS: QUICK COMPARISON Aortic stenosis • Systolic ejection murmur • Best heard at the right upper sternal border • May radiate toward the carotid arteries • Commonly described as harsh or crescendo-decrescendo • Creates pressure overload in the left ventricle • Key concerns include exertional dyspnea, angina, syncope, hypotension, and reduced cardiac output Mitral stenosis • Diastolic rumbling murmur • Best heard at the cardiac apex • Use the bell with light pressure • Often clearer in the left lateral position • May be accompanied by an opening snap • Causes pressure to back up into the left atrium and pulmonary circulation • Key concerns include dyspnea, crackles, atrial fibrillation, thromboembolism, and pulmonary edema 🚨 NURSING ASSESSMENT PRIORITIES For suspected or known aortic stenosis, monitor blood pressure, perfusion, mental status, chest discomfort, activity tolerance, heart rhythm, and signs of reduced cardiac output. For mitral stenosis, expand the assessment to include respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, lung sounds, work of breathing, heart rhythm, neurological changes, and signs of pulmonary congestion or thromboembolism. Medication administration and fluid-management decisions should be based on the patient’s condition, vital signs, provider orders, and current clinical protocols. Patients with severe valvular disease may be sensitive to sudden changes in preload or blood pressure and require close monitoring. Subscribe for more **cardiac nursing lessons, heart sound reviews, nursing school study tips, NCLEX preparation, and practical bedside education**. ⚠️ EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER This content is for nursing education and review only. It does not replace facility protocols, provider orders, clinical judgment, or individualized medical care. Nurses should assess the complete clinical picture and escalate concerning findings through the appropriate chain of command. #aorticstenosis #mitralstenosis #heartmurmurs #heartsounds #cardiacnursing #nursingstudents #newgradnurse #nursingschool #nclexreview #medsurgnursing #cardiacassessment #valvularheartdisease