The nurse is unable to hear the patient's breath sounds. What checks does the nurse make of the stethoscope to determine the cause of this problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The diaphragm is used to hear high-pitched sounds, such as breath sounds, bowel sounds, and normal heart sounds. Its structure screens out low-pitched sounds. Tubing should be no longer than 12 to 18 inches. If the tubing is longer than 18 inches, the sounds may become distorted. Earpieces are angled toward the nose so that sound is projected toward the tympanic membrane. The bell of the stethoscope is used to hear soft, low-pitched sounds such as extra heart sounds or vascular sounds (bruit).

The Nurse Is Unable to Hear the Patient's Breath Sounds