Variables associated with pathologic heart murmurs in primary care consultations

OBJECTIVE: To assess the existence of variables associated to pathological murmurs in infancy. DESIGN: Retrospective crossover study. SETTING: Paediatrics clinic at Carrus Health Centre, Elche. PARTICIPANTS: 109 cases of children with a cardiac murmur recorded between 1987 and 1991 were studied. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The percentage of children with pathological cardiac murmurs was 10.1. An association of pathology to younger age at diagnosis (p = 0.006) and to the intensity of the murmurs (p = 0.001) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of pathological murmurs in our study is similar to that in other series consulted. The age of diagnosis and the intensity of the murmur appear to be variables associated to pathology in children, which should be borne in mind in Primary Care clinics.