Final answer:
The statement is false; palpation involves feeling with the hands while auscultation involves listening with a stethoscope. Auscultation is used to assess heart sounds, not palpation. The correct option is b).
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that chest palpation is carried out with the use of a stethoscope is false. Palpation is a method of feeling with the hands to detect underlying structures or abnormalities. In contrast, auscultation is the act of listening to the sounds made by internal organs, typically the heart and lungs, through a stethoscope.
Chest palpation involves using the hands to assess the structure and consistency of the chest wall and the underlying organs, whereas auscultation involves using a stethoscope to listen to heart sounds and other physiological functions such as breathing.
When performing auscultation, the clinician utilizes a stethoscope to assess heart sounds by placing the bell of the stethoscope at specific locations on the patient's chest where different heart valves can best be heard. This is a crucial part of cardiac physiology examination and is not the same as palpation.
For example, when checking blood pressure, the clinician places the stethoscope on the patient's antecubital region to listen for Korotkoff sounds while air is gradually released from the blood pressure cuff. Option b) is the correct one.