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auscultation
(aws″kәl-ta´shәn)
listening for sounds produced within the body, chiefly to assess the condition of the thoracic or abdominal organs and vessels
such as the heart, lungs, aorta, and intestines. 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). See also auscultatory sounds.

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