Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Cardiac gallop
Introduction
Overview
Overview
A gallop rhythm refers to a (usually abnormal) rhythm of the heart on auscultation.[1] It includes three or four sounds,[2] thus resembling the sounds of a gallop.
The normal heart rhythm contains two audible heart sounds called the first heart sound or (S1) and the second heart sound (S2) that give the well-known “lub-dub” rhythm. These two heart sounds are caused by the closing of valves in the heart.
A gallop rhythm contains another sound, called S3 or S4, dependent upon where in the cycle this added sound comes.
It can also contain both of these sounds forming a quadruple gallop, and in situations of very fast heart rate can produce a summation gallop where S3 and S4 occur so close as to be indistinguishable.
Associated conditions
Associated conditions
Gallop rhythms may be heard in young or athletic people, but may also be a sign of serious cardiac problems like heart failure.
References
References
- ↑ Tavel ME (1996). “The appearance of gallop rhythm after exercise stress testing”. Clin Cardiol. 19 (11): 887–91. doi:10.1002/clc.4960191109. PMID 8914783. Unknown parameter
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External links
External links
- Kuo PT, Schnabel TG, Blakemore WS, Whereat AF (1957). “Diastolic gallop sounds, the mechanism of production”. J. Clin. Invest. 36 (7): 1035–42. doi:10.1172/JCI103499. PMC 1072690. PMID 13449156.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]