Joseph E. Lagrew II, MD
Chicago—Effective auscultation of heart sounds and murmurs is possible over clothing, given firm pressure on the stethoscope, according to a University of Florida research team. Their study demonstrated no difference between that technique and placing the stethoscope directly on the skin, a result that may have several benefits, including decreased exam time, less chance of stethoscope contamination and increased patient comfort.
“Physicians frequently