Final answer:
Percussion is the act of tapping on the body surface to assess the underlying structure based on the emitted sound. Other diagnostic techniques include Auscultation (listening to body sounds) and Palpation (feeling the surface of the body). These techniques help physicians make preliminary diagnoses and decisions about further testing required.
Step-by-step explanation:
The act of tapping the body to feel for abnormal resistance or to listen for sounds emitted is known as Percussion. This is a technique used in medicine, usually during a physical examination, where the physician taps on the patient's body surface with the fingers and listens to the sound in order to assess the underlying structure.
For example, areas of the body filled with air, like the lungs, will emit a certain sound while areas filled with fluid or solid organs, like the heart, will emit a different sound. This technique can help a physician make a preliminary diagnosis or decision about further testing needed.
In addition to percussion, other diagnostic techniques utilized include: Auscultation, the act of listening to sounds within the body, often with the use of a stethoscope, usually to listen to the heart and lungs; and Palpation, this is where a physician feels the surface of the body to determine the size, consistency, location, texture, temperature, and tenderness of an organ or body part.
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