Background Heart auscultation is a widely used and cost-effective clinical tool for detecting valvular heart disease (VHD), particularly in primary care. However, existing evidence on its diagnostic ...

Editor's Note: Before reading this article, it is recommended that readers first review "Nonauscultatory Cardiac Exam: Assessing the Elderly Person," previously published on Medscape. As with most ...

During cardiac auscultation, I have the patient lean forward, take a deep breath, and forcefully exhale. The combination of maneuvers causes retractions of the chest cavity, making the heart closer to ...

Auscultation is the next component in the physical assessment of the infant. Auscultation is most effective when the infant is in a quiet state. Warming of the hands and stethoscope and use of a ...