Respiratory examination | |
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Purpose | part of physical exam(or when a respiratory problem is present) |
A respiratory examination, or lung examination, is performed as part of a physical examination,[1] in response to respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain, and is often carried out with a cardiac examination.
The four steps of the respiratory exam are inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation of respiratory sounds, normally first carried out from the back of the chest.[2]