Ascultatie

Ascultatie is a Romanian term that can refer to the act of listening. In formal use, the medical term auscultație (auscultaţie) denotes auscultation, the process of listening to internal body sounds to assess health. The word is derived from Latin auscultatio, from auscultare, to listen.

Usage and spellings: In medical Romanian, auscultație is standard; the form ascultatie is a common nonstandard or older spelling, and ascultare denotes the general act of listening or obedience.

Medical application: Auscultation is a basic clinical skill used to examine the heart, lungs, and abdomen. With a stethoscope placed on the chest or abdomen, a clinician listens for heart rhythm and murmurs, breath sounds such as crackles or wheezes, and bowel sounds. It can help diagnose conditions like heart disease, pneumonia, asthma, or ileus.

Non-medical sense: The verb a asculta means to listen; a asculta is to obey or comply with instruction; in everyday language, ascultarea means listening attentively or submission to guidance.

Notes: In literature and instruction, there may be regional spelling differences and diacritics; the medical term uses auscultație; the nonmedical form relies on ascultare. The distinction between listening as a physiological diagnostic technique and listening as behavior is important in Romanian.