Pulmonary - breath sounds

Question 1

Should expiration and inspiration be equal with eupneic (good) breathing

Answer 1

NO. Your exhale is longer because it is passive

this is with visual observation

Question 2

When auscultating what is longer, inspiration or expiration?

Answer 2

You will hear inspiration longer then expiration

unless there is pathology

Question 3

What are vesicular breath sounds

Answer 3

normal over the lung fields

Heard over all areas of chest distal to central airways

Primarily an inspiratory sound

Significantly softer/less intense than the more central sounds (ex: tracheal)

Question 4

What are tracheal breath sounds

Answer 4

Normal over the trachea, abnormal when heard elsewhere

A lot of air going through a wide space

Question 5

What are bronchial breath sounds

Answer 5

Normal over the main bronchi, abnormal when heard elsewhere

Question 6

What are bronchovesicular breath sounds

Answer 6

Normal where bronchi are transitioning to parenchyma, abnormal when heard elsewhere

Question 7

How are tracheal sounds described

Answer 7

Loud
Harsh
High-pitched

Question 8

How are bronchial sounds described

Answer 8

Harsh
High-pitched
Tubular

Question 9

What does tubular sounds mean and where would you hear this

Answer 9

air rushing through the tube

Heard over the bronchus

Question 10

How are bronchovesicular sounds described and where would you hear them

Answer 10

Softer/ less intense than tracheal or bronchial sounds

more continuous between inspiration and expiration

Heard just distal to central airways

Question 11

Expiratory component between vesicular and bronchial

Answer 11

Vesicular - inspiration is longer than expiration

Bronchial - inspiration and expiration are closer to equal

Question 12

What are the 4 ways we describe the quality of vesicular breath sounds

Answer 12

Diminished/Decreased

Absent

Harsh

Tracheobronchial, Tubular or Bronchial

Question 13

What does a Diminished/Decreased Vesicular sound mean

Answer 13

when less intense than expected

Question 14

What does a absent Vesicular sound mean

Answer 14

When not heard

Question 15

What does a harsh Vesicular sound mean

Answer 15

When more intense than expected

Question 16

What does a Tracheobronchial, Tubular or Bronchial Vesicular sound mean

Answer 16

When expiratory component is more prominent than expected

Question 17

What are abnormal breath sounds called

Answer 17

Adventitious (Extra) lung sounds

Question 18

What are the 5 adventitious lung sounds

Answer 18

• Crackles
• Wheezes
• Rhonchi
• Stridor
• Rubs

Question 19

What is the other name for Crackles

Answer 19

Rales

Question 20

What are crackles and what is it a sign of

Answer 20

Sign of atelectases: usually from alveoli sticking together from inactivity

• they are discontinuous
• crackling or bubbling
• high pitched
• heard during inspiration
• not cleared out by cough

Question 21

What is a wheeze

Answer 21

• Continuous
• Musical noise during inspiration/expiration
• Can be high or low
• variable duration
• Usually louder during expiration

Question 22

What are Rhonchi

Answer 22

• Continuous
• Low pitched rolling sound
• Like a rumbling with peaks and valleys
• course sound
• like a snore
• may clear with coughing or suctioning

-When you have a lot of secreations

Question 23

Stridor

Answer 23

You can hear with your ear (very distressing sound)

• continuous
• high pitched
• heard over upper airway bc of an obstruction, anaphylaxis or infection

Question 24

what do rubs sound like

Answer 24

Squeaky, creaking sound of pleura rubbing together

Present on inspiration and or expiration

Question 25

What are some causes of crackles

Answer 25

atelectases 
bronchiectasis
bronchitis
pneumonia 
fibrosis

Question 26

What are some causes of a wheeze

Answer 26

Asthma
COPD
and other causes of airway obstruction

Question 27

What are some causes of a rhonchi sound

Answer 27

Suggest secretions in the large airways

Question 28

What type of sound or sounds would you hear with CHF

Answer 28

Rales

Question 29

What type of sound or sounds would you hear with Pneumonia

Answer 29

Rales or Rhonchi

Question 30

What type of sound would you hear with asthma

Answer 30

Wheezing

Question 31

How do you describe sound in your notes

Answer 31

State if heard on inspiration or expiration

Fine, Medium or Coarse for Discontinuous Sounds: e.g., fine crackles, fine rales

Mild, Moderate or Severe for Continuous Sounds: e.g., mild wheeze, mild rhonchi