Auscultation

Question 1

Vesicular breath sounds

Answer 1

Normal breath sounds.
Low pitched, soft, can be heard during inspiration and expiration

Question 2

Adventitious breath sounds

Answer 2

Abnormal breath sounds occurring over the lungs.
Associated with a wide array of heart and lung conditions.

Question 3

Crackles (rales)

Answer 3

Short explosive lung sounds heard in small or middle airways as air moves through secretions.
Associated with fluid or secretions in small and middle airways.
Heard on inspiration and expiration - most commonly on inspiration.
Fine or course.

Question 4

Fine crackles

Answer 4

Fluid in smaller airways. Higher frequency and duration.
Often in pts with CHF and pulmonary edema.
Can be treated with diuretics.

Question 5

Course crackles.

Answer 5

Lower pitch and longer duration.
Caused by secretions in the large airways.
Rhonchi.

Question 6

Wheeze

Answer 6

High pitched abnormal breath sounds. Heard as air flows through a narrowed airway.
Most audible on expiration.
Wheezes are also heard when pts are fluid overloaded ie CHF or pulmonary edema.

Question 7

Bilateral wheezing.

Answer 7

Heard in both lungs.
Indication of bronchoconstriction.
Can be treater with short acting bronchodilator.

Question 8

Unilateral wheeze.

Answer 8

Heard only in one lung.
Indicates a foreign body obstruction.
Bronchoscopy indicated.

Question 9

Rhonchi.

Answer 9

Abnormal breath sound.
Heard when air moved through larger airways with excess mucus or secretions.
Low-pitched and dull. Heard on expiration.
Suction.

Question 10

Stridor.

Answer 10

Abnormal breath sound.
High-pitched. Often heard with upper airway obstruction. Heard on inspiration.
Croup, epiglottitis, post-extubation laryngeal edema, foreign body aspiration.

Question 11

Diminished breath sounds.

Answer 11

Abnormal breath sounds.
Decreased air movement in the lungs. Common with COPD or asthma attack. Post bronchodilator should change to wheezes which indicates improvement.

Question 12

Pleural friction rub.

Answer 12

Abnormal.
Loud grating sound heard over the lungs when inflamed pleura rub together.
Caused by decreased fluid levels in pleural space.

Question 13

Bronchial breath sounds.

Answer 13

Hollow lung sounds heard in normal and abnormal conditions.
Normal when heard over the trachea, abnormal when heard over the lung fields.