The Full Form of AGA is‍ Aktiebolaget Gas Accumulator.

A comprehensive pulmonary assessment is an incredibly valuable tool nurses have in their arsenal of skills. A thorough and skilled assessment allows you to obtain descriptions about your patient’s symptoms and discover any associated physical findings that will aid in the development of differential diagnoses.

When conducting a focused pulmonary assessment on your patient, it is important to document the respiratory rate & rhythm, depth of respirations, paradoxical chest movement & symmetry of respirations. Also note the use of accessory muscles, nasal flaring, tracheal deviation & cough.

After a thorough chest inspection, auscultate anterior and posterior lung fields. Have your patient breathe slightly deeper than normal through their mouth, then auscultate from C-7 to approximately T-8, in a left to right comparative sequence. You should auscultate between every rib, listening for vesicular, bronchial and bronchovesicular breath sounds.

Bronchial sounds are high pitched & usually heard over the trachea. Timing includes an inspiratory phase that is less than the expiratory phase. If bronchial sounds are heard in the actual lung fields, this may indicate consolidation. Vesicular sounds are low pitched, normal breath sounds heard in the periphery of the lungs, and have an inspiratory phase that is greater than the expiratory phase. Lastly, bronchovesicular sounds are medium pitched sounds that have a muffled quality, and the inspiratory phase is equal to the expiratory phase.