What it means
An exam technique in which the examiner taps one finger placed on the skin with a finger of the other hand and listens. Air-filled organs sound hollow (resonant or tympanic), and solid organs, fluid or masses sound dull. It is done to check the lungs, the size of the liver and fluid in the belly. Chest percussion is also a form of chest physiotherapy: clapping with cupped hands over the lungs to loosen mucus so it can be coughed up.
For the nurse
In a head-to-toe exam the order for the abdomen is inspect, auscultate, percuss, palpate, because touching first can change bowel sounds. Do not clap over the spine, kidneys, breasts or bare skin during chest physiotherapy.
Related terms
auscultation
Listening to the sounds inside the body, usually with a stethoscope.
palpation
Examining the body by touching and pressing with the hands and fingers.