Lung Sounds and the Stethoscope - a Lung Sounds Primer

• Main Authors: David Cugell (Author), Noam Gavriely (Author), Dan Zellner (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Association of American Medical Colleges, 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.9066; 2374-8265
• Keywords: Auscultation; Asthma; Lung Sounds; Stethoscopes; Crackles; Rales; Medicine (General); R5-920; Education; L
• Source: MedEdPORTAL, Vol 8 (2012)

Abstract A major difficulty for novice students when learning how to use a stethoscope for the interpretation of breath sounds is auscultatory identification of the phases of the breathing cycle. This is particularly true when listening to recorded material rather than a live patient. To overcome this obstacle a combined graphic-acoustic presentation has been developed. This module contains a web-based presentation including sounds from the lungs, as heard with a stethoscope, from patients with various lung diseases and normal subjects. A four-step procedure for listening to and analyzing lung sounds is described in detail. In addition to the customary narrative explanations, chest X-ray film images, graphic displays of the acoustic signal, and animation are used. Physiological explanations are included with the self-test questions. The resource concludes with a set of nine lung sounds that students can use to assess their competence and ability to recognize abnormal lung sounds. Dynamic movement of a thorax, a moving cursor that identifies at what point in the breathing cycle the sound originates, and a graphic indicator of sound level are displayed along with the breath sounds.