Auscultation is the action of listening for sounds produced within the body. This is chiefly to assess the condition of the thoracic or abdominal organs and vessels such as the heart, lungs, aorta, and intestines, typically with a stethoscope, as a part of medical diagnosis. Fetal heart tones can also be monitored during pregnancy by auscultation with a specialized stethoscope. It may be performed with the unaided ear (direct or immediate auscultation) or with a stethoscope (mediate auscultation).

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