Auscultation is the term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a
stethoscopeThe stethoscope is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, or listening to the internal sounds of an animal body. It is often used to listen to lung and heart sounds. It is also used to listen to intestines and blood flow in arteries and veins...
. Auscultation is performed for the purposes of examining the
circulatory systemThe circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
and
respiratory systemThe respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...
(
heart soundsHeart sounds, or heartbeats, are the noises generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it...
and
breath soundsRespiratory sounds refer to the specific sounds identified through auscultation of the respiratory system with a stethoscope....
), as well as the gastrointestinal system (bowel sounds).
The term was introduced by René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec. 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 contributions were refining the procedure, linking 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 auscultationImmediate auscultation is an antiquated medical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, directly placing the ear on the body. It is opposed to mediate auscultation, using an instrument , usually a stethoscope....
(unaided) and
mediate auscultationMediate auscultation is an antiquated medical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body using an instrument , usually a stethoscope. It is opposed to immediate auscultation, directly placing the ear on the body....
(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 and organ systems during auscultation: the
heartThe heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
, the 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 rateHeart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit of time, typically expressed as beats per minute . Heart rate can vary as the body's need to absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide changes, such as during exercise or sleep....
is also noted. When listening to lungs, breath sounds such as wheezes, crepitations 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. This opened the field to
computer-aided auscultationComputer-aided auscultation is a clinical decision support system, which is designed to assist physicians and other health professionals with decision making tasks when assessing a heart murmur. The need for computer-aided auscultation is increasing as the auscultation skills of physicians are...
.
Auscultogram
The sounds of auscultation can be depicted using symbols to produce an auscultogram. It is used in cardiology training.
See also
- Pericardial friction rub
A pericardial friction rub, also pericardial rub, is an audible medical sign used in the diagnosis of pericarditis. Upon auscultation, this sign is an extra heart sound of to-and-fro character, typically with three components, two systolic and one diastolic. It resembles the sound of squeaky...
- Heart sounds
Heart sounds, or heartbeats, are the noises generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it...
- Breath sounds
Respiratory sounds refer to the specific sounds identified through auscultation of the respiratory system with a stethoscope....
- Triangle of auscultation
The triangle of auscultation of the lungs is a relative thinning of the musculature of the back situated along the medial border of the scapula.-Boundaries:It has the following boundaries:* Superiorly and medially, by the inferior portion of the Trapezius...
- Percussion (medicine)
Percussion is a method of tapping on a surface to determine the underlying structure, and is used in clinical examinations to assess the condition of the thorax or abdomen. It is one of the four methods of clinical examination, together with inspection, palpation and auscultation...
External links
- 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.