Airway and breathing sounds

Question 1

Normal sound of tracheal sounds?

Answer 1

Harsh, hollow

Question 2

Normal sound of bronchial sounds?

Answer 2

High pitched, loud, hollow

Question 3

Normal sound of bronchovesicular sounds?

Answer 3

Low pitched, hollow (Anterior & Posterior)

Question 4

Normal sound of vesicular sounds?

Answer 4

Low pitched, blowing (Anterior & Posterior)

Question 5

Abnormal sounds: Wheezing?

Answer 5

• High pitched, musical

- Air is moving through a narrow airway

Question 6

Abnormal sounds: When is wheezing heard?

Answer 6

• Heard on inspiration and expiration

- Continuous

Question 7

Abnormal sounds: What is associated with wheezing?

Answer 7

• Asthma
• Sputum
• Inflammation
• COPD

Question 8

Abnormal sounds: Crackles? Both types

Answer 8

1. Fine- hair moving through fingers, woodburning. Clears with coughing
2. Coarse- Low, bubbling (wet) sound. Not cleared when coughing

Question 9

Abnormal sounds: Why is Crackles heard? When?

Answer 9

• Air being forced through narrow airway or alveoli
• Heard on inspiration the most
• Discontinuous

Question 10

Abnormal sounds: What is associated with crackles?

Answer 10

• Alveoli pulmonary edema

- congestive heart failure

Question 11

Abnormal sounds: Stridor?

Answer 11

-Obstruction in the upper airway (larynx or trachea), high pitched

Question 12

Abnormal sounds: When is stridor heard?

Answer 12

Mostly heard on inspiration

Question 13

Abnormal sounds: What is associated with stridor?

Answer 13

• Croup

- Foreign body in airway

Question 14

Abnormal sounds: Rhonchi?

Answer 14

• Low pitched rattling sounds
• Sounds like a snore
• Caused by muscus in the larger airway

Question 15

Abnormal sounds: When is Rhonchi heard?

Answer 15

-Heard on inspiration and expiration

Question 16

Abnormal sounds: What is associated with rhonchi?

Answer 16

Pneumonia, Bronchitis

Question 17

Nature of airway sounds: Possibilities if clear?

Answer 17

• Metabolic problems
• Myocardial infarction
• Pulmonary embolus
• Hyperventilation

Question 18

Nature of airway sounds: Possibilities if stridor?

Answer 18

• Complete or partial obstruction?

- Consider Anaphylaxis

Question 19

Nature of airway sounds: Possibilities if Rhonchi?

Answer 19

-Pneumonia

Question 20

Nature of airway sounds: What to do if Rhonchi?

Answer 20

• Sit patient upright
• Consider fluid bolus
• Refer to CPAP procedure

Question 21

Nature of airway sounds: Possibilities if crackles?

Answer 21

• CHF

- Pulmonary edema

Question 22

Nature of airway sounds: Possibilities if Wheezing?

Answer 22

• Asthma

- COPD

Question 23

Nature of airway sounds: First treatment for wheezing?

Answer 23

• Assist patient with their own Albuterol (if available)

- Consider CPAP

Question 24

Nature of airway sounds: wheezing. What to do for impending respiratory failure, unable to tolerate nebulizer treatments?

Answer 24

• Administer Epinephrine 1mg/ml, .3mg IM

- If a second nebulized treatment is needed, administer STEROID (Prednisone 50mg tablet or Methylprednisolone 125mg IV)