THE ROLE OF AUSCULTATION IN THE DIAGNOSTICS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF HEART TONE, ADDITIONAL TONE AND AUSCULTATIVE SIGNIFICANCE

Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. In such conditions, physical examination methods, in particular cardiac auscultation, are of particular importance for early detection of diseases, clinical assessment and selection of correctly directed instrumental examinations. Auscultation provides important initial information about the functional state of the heart valves, myocardium and central hemodynamics by detecting heart sounds, additional sounds, murmurs and other acoustic signs. This article analyzes the theoretical foundations of cardiac auscultation, listening rules, clinical description of S1, S2, S3 and S4 tones, their changes in norm and pathology, as well as their practical significance in diagnosing cardiovascular diseases based on auscultatory signs. Despite the widespread use of modern instrumental methods, especially echocardiography, auscultation remains relevant as a fast, inexpensive, non-invasive and guiding method in clinical decision-making.  Also, the development of digital stethoscopes and cardiac acoustic biomarkers is further expanding the role of auscultation in modern diagnostics.