Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

Which of the following tests does NOT require the patient's voice for proper performance?

1. Egophony

2. Tactile fremitus

3. Whispered pectoriloquy

4. Auscultation

The correct answer is: Auscultation

Auscultation does not require the patient's voice for proper performance. This technique involves using a stethoscope to listen to internal sounds of a patient's body, primarily focusing on the sounds produced by the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. It is performed regardless of the patient's ability to speak and provides critical information about physiological conditions based solely on those internal sounds. In contrast, egophony, tactile fremitus, and whispered pectoriloquy specifically involve the patient's voice or vocal vibrations to assess lung sounds and certain respiratory conditions. Egophony evaluates changes in lung density by asking the patient to say "ee," while tactile fremitus assesses vocal vibrations through palpation on the chest. Whispered pectoriloquy uses the sound of whispered words to assess the consolidation of lung tissue. Each of these techniques requires the patient's participation in producing vocal sounds for accurate assessment.