[Anamnesis and physical examination in pneumonology]

The time the physician spends to take the patient-history is a privileged moment during which the most important informations for diagnosis are gathered which in turn will govern further investigations and measures for treatment. Among the physical examinations auscultation of the lung is often regarded as obsolete. If however acoustic phenomena are evaluated with respect to intensity, duration, pitch and position within the respiratory cycle valuable objective information can be obtained.