Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 70%
Simulated
While auscultating a patient's heart sounds, a nurse detects a fourth heart sound (S4). The nurse understands that this finding possibly indicates:
Correct answer
An S4 heart sound is an extra sound that is heard late in diastole just before S1. It occurs due to resistance to blood flow in an enlarged ventricle, often due to forceful atrial contraction to overcome ventricular resistance. Other options are not directly associated with S4.