Introduction
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demonstrate areas to be percussed, including the
axilla. Percussion is like beating a drum .If the drum is empty the sound will be different from if it is filled. Percussion of the chest is always resonant because of air within the lungs except in areas which contain the liver (hepatic dullness) and the heart (cardiac dullness). Percussion of the abdomen is always tympanitic. Other areas of the body are dull. Dullness is present in the chest in consolidation of lungs, but hyerresonant in pneumothorax. In the abdomen it is dull in ascites, but highly tympanitic in gaseous distension. |
| Introduction to Percussion |
| Anterior |
| Right lateral |
| Posterior |
| Left lateral |
| Workpage |
| Note: Position adopted during clinical examination is by the right hand side of the patient. This picture is only for illustration. |
