What type of murmur is characteristic of aortic stenosis?

Aortic stenosis is characterized by a systolic rough, harsh, blowing murmur. This murmur occurs due to the turbulent blood flow across the narrowed aortic valve during systole, when the left ventricle contracts to eject blood into the aorta. The quality of the murmur is typically described as rough or harsh because of the increased velocity of blood flow through the constricted opening.

The systolic timing is significant because aortic stenosis primarily affects blood flow during the contraction phase of the cardiac cycle. Clinicians often auscultate this murmur in the second right intercostal space, which is where the aortic area is best heard, and it may also radiate to the carotid arteries.

In contrast, diastolic murmurs are associated with conditions such as aortic regurgitation, where the murmur occurs during the filling of the ventricles. Continuous murmurs occur in scenarios such as a patent ductus arteriosus, where there is persistent flow throughout the cardiac cycle. A high-pitched blow is typically not a descriptor associated specifically with aortic stenosis; it is more characteristic of other types of murmurs.