Doctors use stethoscopes to listen to sounds in the human body.
The stethoscope (from greek-languageστηθοσκόπιο, of στήθος, stéthos - chest and σκοπή, skopé - examination) is an acoustic medicine-1device for auscultation, or listening to the internal sounds of an animal body. It is often used to listen to lung and heart-sounds. It is also used to listen to intestineand blood flow in arteryand vein. In combination with a sphygmomanometer, it is commonly used for measurements of blood-pressure. Less commonly, "mechanic's stethoscopes" are used to listen to internal sounds made by machines, such as diagnosing a malfunctioning automobile engine by listening to the sounds of its internal parts. Stethoscopes can also be used to check scientific vacuum chambers for leaks, and for various other small-scale acoustic monitoring tasks.
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Auscultation is hearing sounds made with the body. To auscultate, a doctor or nurse uses a stethoscope. It can be used to auscultate heart sounds, breath sounds, bowel sounds, and artery sounds. Doctors also can use a Doppler ultrasound to check for venous sounds, such as to check for blood flow at different pulse sites. Additionally, doctors use percussionto tap on a body part (mostly the abdomen) to discern if there is abnormal fluid around organs, for example. The fluid has a different sound. These sounds do not need any instrument to hear the sounds, just ears. To percuss, doctors use one hand or several fingers to tap on the skin over an organ.
Percussion and auscultation are two of the oldest forms of diagnostic work-up, going back to ancient times.
Auscultation is listening through a stethoscope for sounds within the body to determine the condition of the lungs, pleura, heart, and abdomen.
That would be called auscultation.
Ausculatation is the medical term for the process of listening. For instance, when your health care provider uses her stethoscope to listen to your chest, she is ausculatating.