Corpus: Abdominal auscultation

Abdominal auscultation is the process of listening to sounds within the abdominal cavity using a stethoscope. It is a part of the physical examination.

Abdominal auscultation helps detect abnormalities in the intestines and provides clues for further diagnostic evaluation. In pregnant women, it is also used to monitor the baby's heartbeat.

During abdominal auscultation, special attention is given to bowel sounds and vascular noises. To improve orientation, the abdomen is divided into four quadrants, which are examined sequentially, typically in a clockwise direction starting from the upper left quadrant.

The stethoscope should be held in place long enough to capture bowel sounds, as they are not continuously present. This helps prevent misdiagnosis.

Abdominal auscultation can provide important diagnostic clues:

• Absent or very faint bowel sounds: Suggests a lack of intestinal movement, as seen in paralytic ileus.
• Increased bowel sounds: May indicate the intestines working harder to push contents past a mechanical obstruction (e.g., tumor), as seen in mechanical ileus.
• Echoing bowel sounds: May occur due to bowel dilation before a narrowing (stenosis) in cases of prolonged mechanical ileus.
• Abnormal vascular sounds (bruits): May suggest underlying vascular conditions, such as an aortic aneurysm or aortic stenosis, when heard over the abdominal aorta.