Auscultation

Question 1

Define Auscultation

Answer 1

-process of listening to and interpreting sounds produced within the thorax
-uses stethoscope
-chest must be exposed
- seated or sidelying
- pt to breathe in and out through mouth to reduce turbulence created by nose
-clean stethoscope with each pt

Question 2

Breath sounds

Answer 2

-normal
-bronchial
-diminished

Question 3

Normal breath sounds

Answer 3

-generated by turbulent airflow in trachea and large airways
-loud in apices and softer at basal lobes
-heard throught inpiration and expiration

Question 4

Bronchial breath sounds

Answer 4

-normal tracheal sounds heard in lung periphery
-heard throughout inspiration and expiration
-heard over consolidated lung areas

Question 5

Diminished breath sounds

Answer 5

-reduction in initial sound generation
-globally= pain or muscle weakness
-locally= obstruction of bronchus, localised fluid or air in pleural spaces

Question 6

Added sounds

Answer 6

-crackles
-wheezes
-pleural rub

Question 7

Crackles

Answer 7

-clicking sounds heard during inspiration
-coarse/ early crackles= sputum retention
-fine/ late= pulmonary oedema or fibrosis

Question 8

Wheezes

Answer 8

-whistling sound produced by turbulent airflow through narrowed airways
-monophonic (single obstruction) and polyphonic (widespread obstruction) heard first on expiration
-severe brochospasm heard on ex- and inspiration
-high pitched= near total obstruction
-low pitched= sputum retention

Question 9

Pleural rub

Answer 9

-pleural surfaces roughened by inflammation, infection or neoplasm produce rubbing sound
-sound= boots crunching on snow
-heard with ex- and inspiration
-localised

Question 10

Other sounds heard

Answer 10

-stridor= wheezing in upper airway that louder on inspiration (upper airway obstruction)
-adventitious= any unusual sounds
-vesicular= normal breath sounds