Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Systolic murmurs occur when blood flows through the heart during the contraction phase (systole), leading to turbulence. Mitral regurgitation is characterized by the backflow of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium due to a malfunctioning mitral valve during ventricular contraction. This backflow creates a distinctive holosystolic murmur, typically best heard at the apex of the heart and can often be transmitted to the left axilla.

In contrast, aortic regurgitation and mitral stenosis, while they can produce heart murmurs, are primarily associated with diastolic murmurs. Aortic regurgitation involves backflow during diastole when the heart is filling, and mitral stenosis involves turbulence during the filling phase of the heart. Pulmonic stenosis primarily results in a systolic ejection murmur, but it is less commonly covered compared to the pronounced characteristics of mitral regurgitation murmurs. Thus, mitral regurgitation is correctly associated with systolic murmurs and is the most common condition associated with this type of heart sound.