There are five common terms used to describe percussion notes in the physical examination:
tympanitic, hyperresonant, resonant, dull, and flat
.
What is resonant and dull?
Resonant sounds are
low pitched, hollow sounds heard over normal lung tissue
. … Dull or thudlike sounds are normally heard over dense areas such as the heart or liver. Dullness replaces resonance when fluid or solid tissue replaces air-containing lung tissues, such as occurs with pneumonia, pleural effusions, or tumors.
What is dullness on 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.
What is Hyperresonance sound?
:
an exaggerated chest resonance heard in various abnormal pulmonary conditions
.
What are the different percussion tones?
There are four types of percussion sounds:
resonant, hyper-resonant, stony dull or dull
. … A dull sound indicates the presence of a solid mass under the surface. A more resonant sound indicates hollow, air-containing structures.
What abdominal percussion sounds like?
The anterior gas-filled abdomen normally has a
tympanitic sound
to percussion, which is replaced by dullness where solid viscera, fluid, or stool predominate. The flanks are duller as posterior solid structures predominate, and the right upper quadrant is somewhat duller over the liver.
What is normal lung percussion?
Tapping over normal air-filled lung should produce
a resonant percussion note
. On the contrary percussion over solid tissues such as the liver or the heart should produce a dull note. And percussion over hollow spaces, like the Traube's space should yield a Tympanic note, which is a drum-like sound.
What is cardiac dullness?
n.
A triangular area determined by percussion of the front of the chest that corresponds to the part of the heart not covered by lung tissue
.
What is vocal Fremitus?
Vocal fremitus is
a vibration transmitted through the body
. It refers to the assessment of the lungs by either the vibration intensity felt on the chest wall (tactile fremitus) and/or heard by a stethoscope on the chest wall with certain spoken words (vocal resonance).
What are Rhonchi in the lungs?
This
low-pitched sound
that usually starts in the larger airways in the lungs. It can be heard on an inhale or exhale, and it's often compared to the sound of snoring. Rhonchi can either come and go on and inhale or exhale or be heard continuously.
What is the principle of percussion?
What is the principle of percussion? The principle of percussion is
to set the chest wall or abdominal wall into vibration by striking it with a firm object
.
How do you do a blunt percussion?
To perform blunt percussion,
strike the ulnar surface of your fist against the body surface
. Alternatively, you may use both hands by placing the palm of one hand over the area to be percussed and then making a fist with the other hand and using it to strike the back of the first hand.
What is a Bronchophony?
Medical Definition of bronchophony
:
the sound of the voice heard through the stethoscope over a healthy bronchus and over other portions of the chest in cases of consolidation of the lung tissue
— compare pectoriloquy.
What causes dull lung sounds?
Absent or decreased sounds can mean: Air or fluid in or around the lungs (such as pneumonia, heart failure, and pleural effusion)
Increased thickness of the chest wall
.
Over-inflation of a part of the lungs
(emphysema can cause this)
