Re: Kid breath sounds Originally Posted by EricJRN 
I need to look through the book again, but I don't think they mean to suggest that auscultating under the axillae constitutes a complete assessment of breath sounds in a non-intubated patient.
I have my book handy.
Page 42, under the "B" (breathing) part of the primary assessment, the text states, "Auscultate bilaterally over the axilla. The chest wall of infants and young children is thin: breath sounds may be transmitted from one side to the opposite side, leading to 'equal breath sounds,' even in the presence of a pneumothorax."
So it sounds like it's a standard part of the primary assessment to do it this way; I think the best idea is what tewdles wrote -- listen to the entire chest, and include the axilla.
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