The decline of cardiac auscultation: 'the ball of the match point is poised on the net'.
A brief review of the history of cardiac auscultation confirms its decline. The intervention of healthcare institutions may avoid loss of medical culture and increased costs by adequate training of medical staff.
Dolara
Alberto
A
Agenzia Regionale Sanità, Regione Toscana, Italy. elisa.dolara@tin.it
D004452:Echocardiography; D004501:Education, Medical; D004867:Equipment Design; D006326:Heart Auscultation / Q000266:history / Q000295:instrumentation; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019023:Stethoscopes