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seven rule of percussion

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I couldn't find a specific numbered "seven rules of percussion" list stated verbatim in the textbook library search (it wasn't indexed as a discrete list in the available texts), but this is a well-established teaching framework for the technique of physical examination percussion (used in chest, abdominal, and cardiac exams). The commonly taught seven rules of percussion are:
  1. Quiet, warm room - percussion notes are subtle; ambient noise and a cold, tense patient (guarding muscles) will mask or distort the sound.
  2. Expose the area adequately - clothing or drapes dampen vibrations and alter the percussion note, so the skin over the area being examined should be directly accessible.
  3. Position the pleximeter (non-dominant) finger firmly on the surface - the middle finger of the non-striking hand is pressed flat against the skin, with the other fingers slightly lifted off so they don't damp the vibration.
  4. Strike with the tip of the middle finger of the dominant hand (plexor), aiming at the distal interphalangeal joint of the pleximeter finger, perpendicular to it.
  5. The striking motion should come from the wrist, not the elbow or shoulder - a quick, relaxed flick of the wrist gives a sharp, consistent tap; a stiff-armed strike produces an inconsistent, muffled note.
  6. Withdraw the striking finger immediately after the tap ("like touching a hot stove") - lingering contact damps the vibration and blunts the resonance you're trying to hear.
  7. Compare symmetrical areas and move from resonant to dull - percuss corresponding points on both sides of the chest/abdomen for comparison, and work from an area of known resonance toward an area of suspected dullness (this is how, for example, shifting dullness or organ borders are detected).
For context, Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery notes on abdominal percussion: "Percussion is most sensitive when the examiner moves from resonant parts of the abdomen to dull areas... Percussion is also a very sensitive and refined method of testing for rebound tenderness" - Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th Edition.
If you're asking about a specific numbered list from a particular course or textbook (nursing fundamentals, PT, or a specific clinical skills manual), let me know which source or specialty context you're studying from and I can search more precisely.
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