Pulmonary - breath sounds Flashcards
Should expiration and inspiration be equal with eupneic (good) breathing
NO. Your exhale is longer because it is passive
this is with visual observation
When auscultating what is longer, inspiration or expiration?
You will hear inspiration longer then expiration
unless there is pathology
What are vesicular breath sounds
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)
What are tracheal breath sounds
Normal over the trachea, abnormal when heard elsewhere
A lot of air going through a wide space
What are bronchial breath sounds
Normal over the main bronchi, abnormal when heard elsewhere
What are bronchovesicular breath sounds
Normal where bronchi are transitioning to parenchyma, abnormal when heard elsewhere
How are tracheal sounds described
Loud
Harsh
High-pitched
How are bronchial sounds described
Harsh
High-pitched
Tubular
What does tubular sounds mean and where would you hear this
air rushing through the tube
Heard over the bronchus
How are bronchovesicular sounds described and where would you hear them
Softer/ less intense than tracheal or bronchial sounds
more continuous between inspiration and expiration
Heard just distal to central airways
Expiratory component between vesicular and bronchial
Vesicular - inspiration is longer than expiration
Bronchial - inspiration and expiration are closer to equal
What are the 4 ways we describe the quality of vesicular breath sounds
Diminished/Decreased
Absent
Harsh
Tracheobronchial, Tubular or Bronchial
What does a Diminished/Decreased Vesicular sound mean
when less intense than expected
What does a absent Vesicular sound mean
When not heard
What does a harsh Vesicular sound mean
When more intense than expected
What does a Tracheobronchial, Tubular or Bronchial Vesicular sound mean
When expiratory component is more prominent than expected
What are abnormal breath sounds called
Adventitious (Extra) lung sounds
What are the 5 adventitious lung sounds
- Crackles
- Wheezes
- Rhonchi
- Stridor
- Rubs
What is the other name for Crackles
Rales
What are crackles and what is it a sign of
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
What is a wheeze
- Continuous
- Musical noise during inspiration/expiration
- Can be high or low
- variable duration
- Usually louder during expiration
What are Rhonchi
- 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
Stridor
You can hear with your ear (very distressing sound)
- continuous
- high pitched
- heard over upper airway bc of an obstruction, anaphylaxis or infection
what do rubs sound like
Squeaky, creaking sound of pleura rubbing together
Present on inspiration and or expiration
What are some causes of crackles
atelectases bronchiectasis bronchitis pneumonia fibrosis
What are some causes of a wheeze
Asthma
COPD
and other causes of airway obstruction
What are some causes of a rhonchi sound
Suggest secretions in the large airways
What type of sound or sounds would you hear with CHF
Rales
What type of sound or sounds would you hear with Pneumonia
Rales or Rhonchi
What type of sound would you hear with asthma
Wheezing
How do you describe sound in your notes
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
