Normally the spleen and liver are covered by the rib cage, with the liver edge occasionally found 1-2 cm below the costal margin | Correct percussion technique is critical for this method to be effective |
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On the left, tympany over the gastric air bubble and the splenic flexure of the colon should be heard | As the air-filled bowel loops are positioned in the closest proximity to the abdominal wall, percussion over most parts of the abdominal cavity elicits a predominantly tympanic sound… Notice that this sound is relatively long, high pitched, and loud |
Therefore, by percussing one can predict the cause of protuberant abdomen, which helps in diagnosis of conditions like ascites.
9Ask the patient to take a deep breath and percuss again | The sounds produced during abdominal percussion can help detect pathologies like organomegaly, intra-abdominal masses, and fluid accumulation |
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On the left, tympany over the gastric air bubble and the splenic flexure of the colon should be heard | Dull sound on the right, over the liver is expected |
The sounds produced during abdominal percussion can help detect pathologies like organomegaly, intra-abdominal masses, and fluid accumulation.
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