For the ancient monasterial worker, see Auscultare

Laennec auscultates a patient before his students

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.

[edit] See also

• Pericardial friction rub
• Heart sounds
• Breath sounds
• Triangle of auscultation
• Percussion (medicine)

[edit] 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"
• 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.