Percussion is a technique of clinical examination .
6-403: A Pleximeter is a device used in medical percussion , as part of a clinical examination , to absorb the energy generated by the strike from the plexor. During percussion the middle finger of examiner's hand is routinely used as pleximeter. The finger of the examiner's left hand is firmly applied to the chest wall so as to displace any air between it and the chest wall and the plexor strikes on
12-414: The thorax or abdomen . It is one of the four methods of clinical examination, together with inspection , palpation , auscultation , and inquiry. It is done with the middle finger of one hand tapping on the middle finger of the other hand using a wrist action. The nonstriking finger (known as the pleximeter ) is placed firmly on the body over tissue. When percussing boney areas such as the clavicle ,
18-415: The middle phalanx of the pleximeter. It can also be an instrument made of wood , ivory , or other hard substances. This article related to medical equipment is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Percussion (medicine) Percussion is a method of tapping on a surface to determine the underlying structures, and is used in clinical examinations to assess the condition of
24-414: The pleximeter can be omitted and the bone is tapped directly such as when percussing an apical cavitary lung lesion typical of tuberculosis . 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
30-399: 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 barrels of liquor , and Dr. Leopold Auenbrugger is said to be the person who introduced
36-429: The technique to modern medicine, although this method was used by Avicenna about 1000 years before that for medical practice such as using percussion over the stomach to show how full it is, and to distinguish between ascites and tympanites . It is used to diagnose pneumothorax , emphysema and other diseases . It can be used to assess the respiratory mobility of the thorax. It is used to find whether any organ
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