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Detecting the gallop: the third heart sound and its significance

Subha Ramani and Brittany N Weber
Med J Aust 2017; 206 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja16.00613
Published online: 20 March 2017

Good technique and a reflective approach assist clinicians to identify an easily missed indicator of ventricular dysfunction

The term “gallop rhythm” was first coined in 1847 by Jean-Baptiste Bouillaud to describe the cadence of three heart sounds occurring in rapid succession. It was further described by his pupil Pierre Potain as follows:


  • 1 Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
  • 2 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA


Correspondence: sramani@bwh.harvard.edu

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

Series editors
Balakrishnan (Kichu) Nair
Simon O’Connor

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  • 6. Wang CS, FitzGerald JM, Schulzer M, et al. Does this dyspneic patient in the emergency department have congestive heart failure? JAMA 2005; 294: 1944-1956.

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