Which of the following represent proper chest auscultation technique?

1. The practitioner should begin auscultation at the lung bases.
2. The patient should be instructed to breathe through an open mouth.
3. The patient should be placed in a comfortable upright position.
4. The patient should avoid deeply inhaling because it can mask certain lung sounds.
a. 1 and 4 only
b. 1, 2, and 3 only
c. 3 only
d. 1, 2, and 4 only

ANS: B
When possible, the patient should be sitting upright in a relaxed position. Instruct the patient to breathe a little more deeply than normal through an open mouth. Inhalation should be active, with exhalation passive. Place the bell or diaphragm directly against the chest wall when possible, because clothing may produce distortion. The tubing must not be allowed to rub against any ob-jects, because this may produce extraneous sounds, which could be mistaken for adventitious lung sounds.