Final answer:
Auscultation is a diagnostic technique where clinicians listen to heart sounds via a stethoscope to identify normal 'lub-dub' sounds or abnormal murmurs, indicating potential heart disorders. Deep breathing by the patient can amplify murmurs, assisting in diagnosis. An echocardiogram may be used for further investigation of potential heart valve disorders.
Step-by-step explanation:
Auscultation and Heart Sounds
Auscultation is a clinical practice involving the act of listening to the heart sounds of a patient, usually with a stethoscope. This technique can reveal normal heart sounds, typically described as 'lub' and 'dub', which correspond to the closing of the atrioventricular valves and the semilunar valves, respectively. During auscultation, the presence of any additional sounds, such as heart murmurs, may indicate a possible heart abnormality, prompting further investigation with tests like the echocardiogram.
Abnormal heart sounds can be indicative of valve and septal disorders, among other pathologies. The echo is a sonogram of the heart that can help diagnose these disorders. Proper placement of the stethoscope's bell on the chest is essential for accurate auscultation, allowing the clinician to assess different valves at each location.
During the procedure, instructing the patient to breathe deeply can amplify certain heart murmurs, as inhalation and exhalation affect blood flow to the heart's chambers on the right and left sides, respectively. These sounds are assessed by carefully placing the stethoscope on various locations on the chest area, where different heart valves can best be heard.