What is this article about?
Along with the chest (i.e. Heart Sounds and Lung Sounds), the abdomen is a major focus of assessment. While listening for bowel sounds is important, that isn't the only way to assess this important part of the anatomy. You can inspect the area, palpate, and percuss. However, you should probably listen to bowel sounds before manipulating the stomach as this can cause changes in the way the sounds are heard.
What do others think?