Final answer:
During a physical assessment, a clinician listens to the lungs using a stethoscope in a process called auscultation. This involves placing the stethoscope on various points over the chest and back, covering all lung areas, and asking the patient to breathe deeply to identify any abnormal lung sounds that could indicate conditions like pneumonia.
Step-by-step explanation:
During a physical assessment, the lungs are assessed by a process known as auscultation, which involves listening to the lungs with a stethoscope. Since the context of this question is related to health and medicine, it is imperative to know the proper technique and areas to listen to for assessing lung function properly. The clinician typically listens to several areas on the chest and back covering all lobes of the lungs. The stethoscope is placed in specific locations to listen to the airflow and check for any abnormal sounds such as crackles or wheezes.
Auscultation during a physical assessment is not only done to listen to heart sounds but also to assess the state of a patient's lungs. The clinician may ask the patient to breathe deeply to amplify any potential abnormal sounds which can be indicative of various respiratory conditions. For instance crackling sounds may suggest the presence of fluids associated with conditions such as pneumonia. To facilitate auscultation, proper placement of the stethoscope's bell on the patient's chest is crucial. The sequential examination involves listening at different points over the chest and back, ensuring coverage of all lung areas.