auscultus

Auscultus, from the Latin auscultare meaning "to listen," refers to the medical practice of listening to the internal sounds of the body to aid diagnosis. It is most commonly performed with a stethoscope, though careful auscultation may also be described without instruments in some contexts.

The modern technique began with René Laennec, who invented the stethoscope in 1816. Before then physicians listened directly to the chest. Over time auscultation was refined to characterize cardiac and pulmonary sounds, and it remains a central component of the physical examination.

Technique and sites: The clinician places the stethoscope on predefined chest, back, and abdominal regions, listening for normal and abnormal sounds. Cardiac auscultation focuses on heart sounds (S1, S2) and potential murmurs or extra sounds; pulmonary auscultation assesses breath sounds and adventitious noises; abdominal auscultation checks bowel sounds and vascular bruits.

Common findings: Normal heart sounds are S1 and S2. Abnormal cardiac sounds include murmurs, clicks, and gallops suggesting valve disease. Lung sounds range from vesicular to bronchial; abnormal findings include crackles, wheezes, rhonchi, and decreased air entry. Abdominal auscultation notes bowel sounds and may detect vascular bruits.

Clinical value and limitations: Auscultation guides diagnosis and testing, but its accuracy depends on clinician experience and patient factors such as obesity or chest wall deformities, and on the listening environment. Electronic or digital stethoscopes and recording technologies are increasingly used to enhance assessment and teaching.

Etymology and terminology: Auscultus is Latin for listening; auscultation denotes the practice of listening to body sounds as part of clinical evaluation.