Physical examination in valvular aortic stenosis: Correlation with stenosis severity and prediction of clinical outcome, ,

Background And Methods The goal of this study was to examine the ability of physical examination to predict valvular aortic stenosis severity and clinical outcome in 123 initially asymptomatic subjects (mean age 63 ± 16 years, 70% men) followed up for a mean of 2.5 ± 1.4 years. Results Doppler aortic jet velocity correlated with systolic murmur intensity (P = .003) and timing (P = .0002), a single second heart sound (P = .01), and carotid upstroke delay (P < .0001) and amplitude (P < .0001). However, no physical examination findings had both a high sensitivity and a high specificity for the diagnosis of severe valvular obstruction. Clinical end points were reached in 56 subjects (46%), including 8 deaths and 48 valve replacements for symptom onset. Univariate predictors of outcome included carotid upstroke delay (P = .0008) and amplitude (P = .0006), systolic murmur grade (P < .0001) and peak (P = .0003), and a single second heart sound (P = .003). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, the only physical examination predictor of outcome was carotid upstroke amplitude (P = .0001). Conclusions Although physical examination findings correlate with stenosis severity, echocardiography still is needed to exclude severe obstruction reliably when this diagnosis is suspected. (Am Heart J 1999;137:298-306.)