Respiratory examination

In medicine, the respiratory examination is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with a respiratory problem (dyspnea (shortness of breath), cough, chest pain) or a history that suggests a pathology of the lungs. It is very rarely performed in its entirety or in isolation; most commonly, it is merged with the cardiac examination. In medicine, the respiratory examination is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with a respiratory problem (dyspnea (shortness of breath), cough, chest pain) or a history that suggests a pathology of the lungs. It is very rarely performed in its entirety or in isolation; most commonly, it is merged with the cardiac examination. The four steps of the respiratory exam are inspection (observation), palpation (feeling), percussion (tapping) and auscultation (listening) of the lungs from both the front and the back. Auscultation should be done directly on the skin, not over clothing.