Which position is most appropriate to assess the posterior thorax?
Auscultation of the chest ideally is performed in a quiet room with the patient either sitting or standing. When the posterior thorax is examined, the patient’s arms should be crossed anteriorly to move the scapulas laterally as much as possible.
What should you hear when you Percuss the posterior chest?
Look at the following diagram that shows percussion notes on the posterior chest: Resonant sounds are low pitched, hollow sounds heard over normal lung tissue. Flat or extremely dull sounds are normally heard over solid areas such as bones. An area of hyperresonance on one side of the chest may indicate a pneumothorax.
How do you palpate posterior thorax?
The posterior thorax is best examined with the patient sitting upright, arms folded across the chest, and hands placed on opposite shoulders. This displaces the scapulae laterally and exposes more pulmonary parenchyma to the examiner’s hands and ears.
How do you Auscultate posterior lungs?
Auscultation
- Have the patient sit upright if possible, breathing slowly and deeply through an open mouth.
- Use the diaphragm of the stethoscope, placed firmly and directly on the skin.
- Auscultate all areas systematically including anterior, posterior, and lateral lung fields.
What is dullness percussion?
Dullness to percussion indicates denser tissue, such as zones of effusion or consolidation. Once an abnormality is detected, percussion can be used around the area of interest to define the extent of the abnormality. Normal areas of dullness are those overlying the liver and spleen at the anterior bases of the lungs.
Which lung lobe Cannot be assessed posteriorly?
Note that anterior only, a small part of the left lower lobe is able to be assessed. The same holds true for the right lower lobe. In the figure, the posterior view is seen, and the largest mass of the LLL can only be assessed by carefully examining the posterior of the chest wall.
What are the rules of percussion?
Percussion should always be done from a resonant to a dull area and not in the reverse direction. During percussion the movement should take place at the wrist joint only. Over clavicular area, percussion is done directly over the clavicle.
What sound would the nurse expect to hear while Percussing a patient’s lung field?
The nurse is percussing over the lungs of a patient with pneumonia. The nurse knows that percussion over an area of atelectasis in the lungs would reveal: dullness. A dull percussion note signals an abnormal density in the lungs, as with pneumonia, pleural effusion, atelectasis, or tumor.
What is percussion nursing?
Percussion is a method of tapping body parts with fingers, hands, or small instruments as part of a physical examination. It is done to determine: The size, consistency, and borders of body organs. The presence or absence of fluid in body areas.