| Sound and description | Location | Possible causes |
|---|
| Abnormal bowel sounds | |
| Hyperactive sounds (unrelated to hunger) | Any quadrant | Diarrhea, laxative use, or early intestinal obstruction |
| Hypoactive, then absent, sounds | Any quadrant | Paralytic ileus or peritonitis |
| High-pitched tinkling sounds | Any quadrant | Intestinal fluid and air under tension in a dilated bowel |
| High-pitched rushing sounds accompanied by abdominal cramps | Any quadrant | Intestinal obstruction |
| Systolic bruits | |
| Vascular blowing sounds | Over abdominal aorta | Partial arterial obstruction or turbulent blood flow |
| Over renal artery | Renal artery stenosis |
| Over iliac artery | Iliac artery occlusion |
| Venous hum | |
| Continuous, medium-pitched tone created by blood flow in a large, engorged vascular organ | Epigastric and umbilical regions | Increased collateral circulation between portal and systemic venous systems, as in cirrhosis |
| Friction rub | |
| Harsh, grating sound | Over liver and spleen | Inflammation of the peritoneal surface of liver |