Percussion (medicine)
Percussion (medicine) | |
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MeSH | D010474 |
MedlinePlus | 002281 |
Percussion is a technique of
Overview
Percussion is a method of tapping on a surface to determine the underlying structures, and is used in
There are two types of percussion: direct, which uses only one or two fingers; and indirect, which uses only the middle/flexor finger. Broadly classifying, there are four types of percussion sounds: resonant, hyper-resonant, stony dull or dull. A dull sound indicates the presence of a solid mass under the surface. A more resonant sound indicates hollow, air-containing structures. As well as producing different notes which can be heard they also produce different sensations in the pleximeter finger.
Percussion was at first used to distinguish between empty and filled
Of the thorax
It is used to diagnose pneumothorax, emphysema and other diseases. It can be used to assess the respiratory mobility of the thorax.
Of the abdomen
It is used to find whether any
Notes
Based on the auditory and tactile perception, the notes heard can be categorized as:[3]
- Tympanitic, drum-like sounds heard over air filled structures during the abdominal examination.[4]
- Hyperresonant (pneumothorax), said to sound similar to percussion of puffed up cheeks.
- Normal resonance/ Resonant, the sound produced by percussing a normal chest.
- Impaired resonance (mass, consolidation) lower than normal percussion sounds.
- Dull (consolidation), similar to percussion of a mass such as a liver.
- Stony dull, the sounds produced on percussion from the pleximeter with no contribution from the underlying area.
Percussion may induce pain, this is often also noted as it can indicate underlying pathology.
References
- ISBN 0-7234-3230-9
- ^ Cibeles Jolivette Gonzalez. "Avicenna's Canon Of Medicine". Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Percussion notes". LifeHugger. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ^ "University of California, San Diego".