It is quite often that you see the words ‘bilateral air entry’ written in the notes in the assessment of a patient’s respiratory system. In many cases this is a simplification of what can be heard through the stethoscope. One might argue that in some instances it is sufficient to establish ‘air entry’ as […]
When teaching a pair of junior medical students at the bedside I was reminded of a widespread misconception amongst medical undergraduates (and perhaps postgraduates?) with regards to clinical examination. Perhaps it originates from the stethoscope’s iconic status as the doctor’s tool of diagnosis, but this misconception is that the stethoscope is, on its own, at […]
