What is stony dull percussion sound?

Category: medical health lung and respiratory health
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A "stony dull" or flat percussion note sounds duller than the "standard" dull sound. It resembles the percussion note heard over the thigh and is indicative of a pleural effusion.



Similarly one may ask, what does dull percussion sound like?

Resonant sounds are low pitched, hollow sounds heard over normal lung tissue. Dull or thudlike sounds are normally heard over dense areas such as the heart or liver. Dullness replaces resonance when fluid or solid tissue replaces air-containing lung tissues, such as occurs with pneumonia, pleural effusions, or tumors.

Beside above, what is stony dullness? Stony dullness – this suggests the presence of a pleural effusion. Hyper-resonance – the opposite of dullness, suggestive of decreased tissue density – e.g. pneumothorax. Percuss the chest. Percuss the chest.

Also Know, what does a dull percussion note indicate?

A dull sound indicates 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.

What are percussion sounds?

Percussion is an assessment technique which produces sounds by the examiner tapping on the patient's chest wall. Percussion sets the chest wall and underlying tissues into motion, producing audible sounds and palpable vibrations.

37 Related Question Answers Found

What is tympany and dullness?

Tympany is a high pitched musical sound that indicates a hollow space filled by air or gas in the stomach or intestine. Dullness suggests fluid or underlying organs like the liver and spleen.

What is Hyperresonance?

1. An extreme degree of resonance. 2. Resonance increased above the normal, and often of lower pitch, on percussion of an area of the body; occurs in the chest as a result of overinflation of the lung as in emphysema or pneumothorax and in the abdomen over distended bowel.

What is tympany on percussion?

Tympany: A hollow drum-like sound that is produced when a gas-containing cavity is tapped sharply. Tympany is heard if the chest contains free air (pneumothorax) or the abdomen is distended with gas. Also known as tympanites.

How do you do percussion?

Method Of Exam
Percuss over the intercostal space and note the resonance and the feel of percussion. Keep the middle finger firmly over the chest wall along intercostal space and tap chest over distal interphalangeal joint with middle finger of the opposite hand. The movement of tapping should come from the wrist.

What does ascites sound like?


One technique for evaluating ascites is assessment of shifting dullness. In the ascitic abdomen, gas-filled bowel loops float to the top while the ascitic fluid falls to the dependent portion of the abdomen. As a result, percussion notes are tympanitic over the bowel loops and dull over the surrounding fluid.

Is Shifting dullness normal?

If the fluid causing the dullness was not free, then the air-fluid level would not move. Shifting dullness is usually present if the volume of ascitic fluid is greater than 1500 ml. In some cases, the ascites collide to form a bigger ascites.

What do you mean by percussion?

Percussion is music involving drums and other instruments such as gongs, bells, cymbals, rattles, and tambourines. The instruments themselves are also called percussion.

What does a full bladder sound like?

Tympanic sound is relatively long, high pitched, and loud. Occasional areas of dullness (lower pitched, shorter, and quieter sound than tympany) are produced by fluid and feces, and are normal as well. Dullness on percussion in this area indicates an enlarged uterus or distended bladder.

What is the purpose of percussion?

Percussion is a method of tapping body parts with fingers, hands, or small instruments as part of a physical examination. It is done to determine: The size, consistency, and borders of body organs. The presence or absence of fluid in body areas.

What does fluid in lung sound like?


Crackles are the sounds you will hear in a lung field that has fluid in the small airways. Coarse crackles sound like pouring water out of a bottle or like ripping open Velcro. This lung sound is often a sign of adult respiratory distress syndrome, early congestive heart failure, asthma, and pulmonary oedema.

What is resonant sound?

The word resonance comes from Latin and means to "resound" - to sound out together with a loud sound. Resonance is a common cause of sound production in musical instruments. Resonance only occurs when the first object is vibrating at the natural frequency of the second object.

Is tactile Fremitus normal?

Increased fremitus may indicate compression or consolidation of lung tissue, as occurs in pneumonia. Normal findings on palpation include: normal chest size and shape, tactile fremitus over the mainstem bronchi in front and between the scapulae in the back of the chest.

What does a pleural effusion sound like?

Common signs of pleural effusion are asymmetric chest expansion, asymmetric tactile fremitus, dullness to percussion, absent or diminished breath sounds, and rubs. The larger the effusion, the more sensitive these signs are.

How did man use the percussion technique?

1 : the act of percussing: such as. a : the striking of a percussion cap so as to set off the charge in a firearm. b : the beating or striking of a musical instrument. c : the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resultant

What is tactile Fremitus?


Fremitus. In common medical usage, it usually refers to assessment of the lungs by either the vibration intensity felt on the chest wall (tactile fremitus) and/or heard by a stethoscope on the chest wall with certain spoken words (vocal fremitus), although there are several other types.

What is the difference between auscultation and percussion?

The Greek physician Hippocrates used auscultation (from the Latin for "listen") as a diagnostic technique. In percussion, the doctor taps parts of the patient's body with his or her fingers or with a hammer-like instrument called a "percussor".

How do you perform postural drainage?

How do I do postural drainage?
  1. Each position should be held for a minimum of five minutes.
  2. Positions can be done on a bed or on the floor.
  3. In each position, your chest should be lower than your hips to allow mucus to drain.
  4. Use pillows, foam wedges, and other devices to make yourself as comfortable as possible.