Respiratory

Equipment Needed

• Stethoscope
• Ruler for chest excursion

What to Say to the Patient

• "I'll be listening to your lungs — please take deep breaths through your mouth."

Inspection Steps

• Respiratory rate, effort, symmetry
• Use of accessory muscles
• Chest shape (barrel chest)

Palpation Steps

• Chest expansion symmetry
• Tactile fremitus

Percussion Steps

• Percuss lung fields systematically, compare sides

Auscultation Steps

• Auscultate anterior/posterior/lateral lung fields in sequence, comparing side to side

Normal Findings

• Clear breath sounds bilaterally
• Resonant percussion
• Symmetric expansion

Abnormal Findings

• Crackles, wheezes, rhonchi
• Dullness to percussion (effusion/consolidation)
• Decreased fremitus (effusion)
• Asymmetric expansion

Common Mistakes

• Not comparing side-to-side
• Auscultating over clothing
• Too few breath cycles per site

Documentation Example

Lungs clear to auscultation bilaterally. Symmetric expansion, resonant to percussion. No accessory muscle use.