Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

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Which heart sound is referred to as "an opening snap"?

A) S1
B) S2
C) S3
D) S4

The correct answer is: C) S3

The heart sound commonly referred to as "an opening snap" is the third heart sound (S3). This sound is associated with the rapid filling of the ventricles during diastole, which occurs when blood flows from the atria to the ventricles. The "opening snap" specifically refers to a sound that can occur with the opening of the mitral valve during this rapid filling, giving rise to a distinct sound that is often heard in conditions like mitral stenosis. In a normal heart, S1 (the first heart sound) and S2 (the second heart sound) correspond to the closure of the heart valves during the cardiac cycle, while S4 is associated with atrial contraction. Neither S1, S2, nor S4 has a characteristic sound that resembles an opening snap. Therefore, recognizing S3 as the sound associated with rapid ventricular filling helps to understand its role in assessing cardiac function and diagnosing potential heart conditions.