Auscultation
- For the ancient monasterial worker, see Auscultare
Auscultation is the technical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope; based on the Latin verb auscultare "to listen". Auscultation is performed for the purposes of examining the circulatory system and respiratory system (heart sounds and breath sounds), as well as the gastrointestinal system (bowel sounds).
The term was introduced by René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec. The act of listening to body sounds for diagnostic purposes has its origin further back in history, possibly as early as Ancient Egypt. Laënnec's contribution was to refine the procedure, to link sounds with specific pathological changes in the chest, and inventing a suitable instrument (the stethoscope) in the process . Originally, there was a distinction between immediate auscultation (unaided) and mediate auscultation (using an instrument).
Auscultation is a skill that requires substantial clinical experience, a fine stethoscope and good listening skills. Doctors listen to three main organs/ organ systems during auscultation: the heart, lungs, and the gastrointestinal system. When auscultating the heart, doctors listen for abnormal sounds including heart murmurs, gallops, and other extra sounds coinciding with heartbeats. Heart rate is also noted. When listening to lungs, breath sounds such as wheezes and crackles are identified. The gastrointestinal system is auscultated to note the presence of bowel sounds.
Electronic stethoscopes can be recording devices, and can provide noise reduction and signal enhancement. This is helpful for purposes of telemedicine (remote diagnosis) and teaching.
Auscultogram
The sounds of auscultation can be depicted using symbols to produce an auscultogram. It is used in cardiology training.[1]
See also
References
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| 40x40px | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Auscultation. |
- The Auscultation Assistant, - "provides heart sounds, heart murmurs, and breath sounds in order to help medical students and others improve their physical diagnosis skills"
- MEDiscuss - Respiratory auscultation with audio examples
- Traditional Chinese medicine - Auscultation of Traditional Chinese medicine
- Blaufuss Multimedia - Heart Sounds and Cardiac Arrhythmias
- http://www.andries.com - Commercial site, online auscultation training and a test instruction
- Thinklabs - Commercial site, digital stethoscopes
- Independent Stethoscope Review - Comparative review of stethoscopes, including frequency response graphs.
- Easy Auscultation Auscultation training with audio, text, waveforms and animation of cardiac abnormalities. PC, MAC, iPhone, iPad.
de:Auskultation et:Auskultatsioon es:Auscultación eu:Auskultazio fr:Auscultation ko:청진 id:Auskultasi it:Auscultazione nl:Auscultatie ja:聴診 pl:Osłuchiwanie pt:Auscultação ru:Аускультация sr:Аускултација
sv:Auskultation (medicin)- ↑ Constant, Jules (1999). Bedside cardiology. Hagerstwon, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 123. ISBN 0-7817-2168-7.
