Patent Ductus Arteriosus with Atrial Fibrillation

Amara H. Estrada, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), University of Florida

ArticleSeptember 20141 min read

These two recordings are from different patients; each has a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and atrial fibrillation.

A continuous murmur is auscultated high on the left heart base, which increases and decreases in intensity throughout the cardiac cycle with the peak intensity near the S2 sound. There is also an arrhythmia in the second patient, and the heart rate is much faster than the previous PDA murmur as this patient is in atrial fibrillation. The continuous murmur is louder when there are longer R-R intervals, and it is more difficult to auscultate during shorter R-R intervals.