However, prolapse is often diagnosed from echocardiogram in the absence of any auscultatory findings, causing over diagnosis with its attendant psychological and insurance problems. Careful auscultation for assessment of murmurs is mandatory and Doppler study is not a substitute for this. Doppler study may not reveal the origin of many crescendo-decrescendo murmurs produced by ejection of blood in to great vessels. However, late peaking of crescendo-decrescendo murmur signals the presence of severe aortic stenosis and require confirmation by echo Doppler techniques. Auscultatory method has limitations.
Information obtained is subjective, dependent on expertise of the examiner.
These limitations are responsible for the loss of emphasis on auscultation currently existing in teaching and learning auscultation. However, these limitations can be largely overcome by improving the stethoscope, Correction of deficiencies in reception and interpretation of auditory data is one such method of improvement. Another method is conversion of sounds to digital forms and playing them back at slower speeds, which avoids auditory distortions. Miniature portable electronic stethoscope may be helpful. A hybrid of stethoscope and echocardiogram in a miniature from is perhaps ideal.