Mastering the art of auscultation is essential to assess and monitor your patients effectively, and it is a skill that requires a lot of practice. From key auscultation areas to tips on proper auscultation during physical examinations, support your learning with supplementary resources to make the most of your 3M™ Littmann® Stethoscope's exceptional acoustic performance and innovative features.
Tips to perform a proper auscultation:
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Step 1: Perform auscultation in a quiet, well-lit, and warm room. This allows effective amplification of heart sounds.
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Step 2: Request for your patient to be appropriately disrobed. Having your stethoscope chest piece placed directly on your patient’s chest or back will eliminate distortions and frictional noise from clothing.
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Step 3: Examining your patient while he or she is supine, seated, and in left lateral recumbent positions will help you hear different sounds, especially abnormal ones, by accentuating them in different positions.
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Step 4: Repeat the steps using a stethoscope bell (see video below for conversion steps) to help you listen for heart murmurs. Stethoscopes with both a bell and a diaphragm, such as the 3M™ Littmann® Cardiology IV™ Stethoscope and the 3M™ Littmann® Classic III™ Stethoscope, are recommended for this.
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Learn more about the four basic cardiac auscultation areas.
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View the correct positions for lung auscultation.
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Learn more about the parts that make up a 3M™ Littmann® Stethoscope.
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Discover the unique attributes of each stethoscope in the 3M™ Littmann® range.
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