![]() Chest auscultation involves listening to these internal sounds to assess airflow through the trachea and the bronchial tree (Sarkar et al, 2015).įamiliarity with the normal vesicular breath sounds found at specific locations on the chest enables health professionals to identify abnormal sounds, which are often referred to as adventitious. These sounds are audible when auscultation is performed using a stethoscope. Vesicular breath sounds occur when the vocal cords vibrate during inspiration and expiration, when the vibrations are transmitted to the trachea and bronchi. Cedar (2018) provides further information on the physiology of breathing. Fig 1 illustrates the anatomy of the lungs and Fig 2 highlights the location of the lung lobes from an anterior chest perspective. To undertake a thorough assessment of the chest, including auscultation, it is essential to understand the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) has included chest auscultation and interpretation of findings in the Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses, and student nurses now learn this skill as undergraduates. This is an example of a systemic assessment tool but other tools are available (Simpson, 2015) ![]() The procedure should always form part of an holistic assessment and must be viewed alongside the patient’s clinical history (Box 1).Ī commonly used acronym in clinical examination of the chest is IPPA:
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