We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Auscultation?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 32,141
Share

Auscultation is a part of a medical exam in which the doctor, nurse, or other care provider listens to sounds going on inside the body with the aid of a stethoscope. The word “auscultation” is derived from the Latin for “listen,” and it can take some time to learn to perform this type of exam competently. Many people are familiar with this process, as it is a common part of most physical exams, designed to provide the doctor with important information about the patient's general level of health and physical condition.

Humans have recognized the value of listening to internal sounds for centuries, as ample discussions and depictions of ancient medicine indicate. In the 1800s, French physician Rene Laennec developed the stethoscope, revolutionizing the process of auscultation. The stethoscope allowed doctors to get a much clearer sound during this process, and modern variants have included stethoscopes which record what the doctor hears, cancel out superfluous noise, and have other features to improve the listening experience.

Three different systems inside the body can be listened to during auscultation: the heart, the lungs, and the bowels. Auscultation can reveal signs of ill health including irregular heartbeats, fluid in the lungs, or bowel obstructions. An attentive listener can often identify very specific conditions by sound alone, listening for tell-tale signs such as a particular type of crackle in the lungs which suggests pneumonia, or the wheezing characteristic of asthma.

During the exam, the doctor may move the stethoscope around to listen to various areas of interest, and may direct the patient to take deep breaths, hold the breath, or engage in other activities so that the doctor can hear changes on the exam. It is important for patients to remember not to move excessively during auscultation, as this can generate background noise which makes it hard to identify things like subtle heart murmurs. It is also wise to refrain from talking, as the stethoscope will magnify the speech and it can be painful for the physician in addition to disruptive for the exam because the doctor will no longer be able to hear internal noises over the sound of speech.

Trainee medical care providers are given numerous chances to practice their auscultation skills. They listen to each other routinely, and may be invited to listen to patients with “classic” presentations of particular conditions so that they can get familiar with the different sounds they may hear on exams.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-auscultation.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.