Correlation of the Murmur of Interventricular Septal Defect with Pressure Differences between the Ventricles.

The systolic murmur associated with interventricular septal defect presents a number of variations which have been related to the location and size of the defect, the pulmonary vascular resistance, and to the pressure gradient between the ventricles. The purpose of this investigation was to study the relation of the pressure gradient in interventricular septal defect to the time-intensity characteristics of the murmur. This was accomplished by simultaneously ?ecording pressure pulses in both ventricles together with continuous pressure differences between the ventricles, and phonocardiograms.