Where do you Percuss the thorax?
Percuss over the intercostal space and note the resonance and the feel of percussion. Keep the middle finger firmly over the chest wall along intercostal space and tap chest over distal interphalangeal joint with middle finger of the opposite hand. The movement of tapping should come from the wrist.
What is the appropriate technique for percussion of the thorax?
Percussion. The technique of percussion is best accomplished by the following approach: Press the distal phalanx of the middle finger firmly on the area to be percussed and raise the second and fourth fingers off the chest surface; otherwise, both sound and tactile vibrations will be blunted.
What is percussion of the thorax?
Percussion is the act of tapping on a surface, thereby setting the underlying structures in motion, creating a sound and palpable vibration. Percussion is used to determine whether underlying structures are fluid-filled, gas-filled, or solid. Percussion: Penetrates 5 – 6 centimeters into the chest cavity.
Why do we Percuss the thorax?
Percussion sets the chest wall and underlying tissues into motion, producing audible sounds and palpable vibrations. Percussion helps to determine whether the underlying tissues are filled with air, fluid, or solid material. Resonant sounds are low pitched, hollow sounds heard over normal lung tissue.
What does Hyperresonance mean?
Medical Definition of hyperresonance : an exaggerated chest resonance heard in various abnormal pulmonary conditions.
How is percussion performed?
Percussion is an assessment technique which produces sounds by the examiner tapping on the patient’s chest wall. Just as lightly tapping on a container with your hands produces various sounds, so tapping on the chest wall produces sounds based on the amount of air in the lungs.
Why do doctors ask patients to say 99?
ADDITIONAL BREATH SOUNDS Consolidation refers to increased density of the lung tissue, due to it being filled with fluid and/or blood or mucus. Ask the patient to say the words: “ninety-nine” while you listen through the stethoscope. Normally the sound of “ninety-nine” will sound very faint and muffled.
What is the thorax area of the body?
In humans and other hominids, the thorax is the chest region of the body between the neck and the abdomen, along with its internal organs and other contents. It is mostly protected and supported by the rib cage, spine, and shoulder girdle.
Where does chest percussion need to be done?
Chest percussion should only be done in specific areas: 1 Over the ribs 2 On the sides of the chest 3 On the sides of the back
Where do you Percus on the anterior chest wall?
With the patient in an upright seated position, with the scapulae protracted; percuss on the posterior chest wall; either side of the mid-clavicular line in the interspaces at 5cm intervals. Ensure you percuss from side to side and top to bottom (omitting areas covered by the scapulae). Repeat for the anterior chest.
What does percussion over normal lung tissue indicate?
Percussion over normal, healthy lung tissue should produce a resonant note. Dull percussive sounds are indicative of abnormal lung density. Hyperresonance on percussion indicates too much air is present within the lung tissue.
Where does the auscultation of the heart take place?
Normal cardiac percussion should show dullness to percussion from the sternum to approximately 6 cm lateral to the left of the sternum. A stethoscope is used for auscultation of the heart, and its head can involve one or two diaphragms that allow for low frequencies (the bell) or high frequencies (the diaphragm) to be heard.