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Auscultation (listening to body sounds) is used frequently, most
often to assess the heart,
lungs, and abdomen. A stethoscope is required to heat soft
sounds, but in some cases, loud
sounds, such as those associated with intestinal hyperactivity,
are audible with gross hearing (i.e.,
listening without any instrumentation).
It is a technical term for listening to the internal sounds of
the body, usually using astethoscope; based on the Latin verb
auscultare "to
listen". Auscultation is performed for the purposes of
examining the circulatory system and respiratory
system (heart sounds andbreath sounds), as well as
the gastrointestinal system (bowel sounds).
Nurses must practice auscultation repeatedly
on various healthy and ill people to gain proficiency
with the equipment and experience in interpreting
data. To ensure the accuracy of findings, it is best toeliminate
or reduce environmental noise as much as
possible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stethoscopehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circulatory_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_soundshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breath_soundshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrointestinal_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stethoscopehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circulatory_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_soundshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breath_soundshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrointestinal_system
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Assessment using sense of hearing (auscultation)
It is important that a nurse learns to listen effectively, so
that not only what a client says
is registered but also the tone of voice, which often conveys a
great deal. A nurse must also learn
how to recognize abnormal sounds. In client care, recognizing
abnormal sounds involves the
ability to detect:
Abnormalities of breathing: for example, respirations that are
wheezing, or noisy or
distressed
Abnormalities of heart sounds, blood pressure, bowel sounds or
fetal heart sounds, when
using stethoscope
Manifestation of a clients distress for example, coughing,
expectorating sputum,
vomiting, crying or moaning
Changes in the sound or rhythm of technical equipment such as
suction artificial
ventilation apparatus
Auscultation is listening with a stethoscope to sounds produced
by the body. To
auscultate correctly, listen in a quiet environment. To be
successful, the nurse must be
first able to recognize normal sounds from each body structure,
including the passage of
blood through artery, heart sounds and movement of air through
the lungs.
