
These wheezes occur when airways are narrowed, such as may occur during an acute asthmatic attack. Wheezes that are relatively high pitched and have a shrill or squeaking quality may be referred to as sibilant rhonchi. They are often heard continuously through both inspiration and expiration and have a musical quality.They are caused by air moving through airways narrowed by constriction or swelling of airway or partial airway obstruction. Wheezes are sounds that are heard continuously during inspiration or expiration, or during both inspiration and expiration. Visit EMTprep LungSoundSeries (Course Crackles) on Youtube. They have been described as sounding like opening a Velcro fastener. Coarse crackles are somewhat louder, lower in pitch, and last longer than fine crackles.Visit EMTprep LungSoundSeries (Fine Crackles) You can simulate this sound by rolling a strand of hair between your fingers near your ear, or by moistening your thumb and index finger and separating them near your ear. Fine crackles are soft, high-pitched, and very brief.Crackles are often described as fine, medium, and coarse.Crackles that don't clear after a cough may indicate pulmonary edema or fluid in the alveoli due to heart failure or adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Crackles are often associated with inflammation or infection of the small bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. The popping sounds produced are created when air is forced through respiratory passages that are narrowed by fluid, mucus, or pus. Crackles may be heard on inspiration or expiration. Crackles are referred to as discontinuous sounds they are intermittent, nonmusical and brief.

Sources differ as to the classification and nomenclature of these sounds, but most examiners commonly use the following terms to describe adventitious breath sounds.ĭetection of adventitious sounds is an important part of the respiratory examination, often leading to diagnosis of cardiac and pulmonary conditions.Ĭrackles (or rales) are caused by fluid in the small airways or atelectasis. The term “adventitious” breath sounds refers to extra or additional sounds that are heard over normal breath sounds. The dense tissue transmits sound from the lung bronchi much more efficiently than through the air-filled alveoli of the normal lung. These conditions cause the lung tissue to be dense. When bronchial sounds are heard in areas distant from where they normally occur, the patient may have consolidation (as occurs with pneumonia) or compression of the lung.


Abnormal breath sounds Abnormal Breath Sounds
