Thorax and Lungs Vocabulary

Question 1

Adventitious breath sounds

Answer 1

abnormal auscultated breath sounds such as crackles, rhonchi, wheezes and friction rub

Question 2

Apnea

Answer 2

a temporary halt to breathing

Question 3

Asthma (reactive airway disease)

Answer 3

small airway obstruction caused by inflammation and hyperactive airways

Question 4

Atelectasis

Answer 4

incomplete expansion of the lung

Question 5

Barrel chest

Answer 5

increased anteroposterior diameter of the chest, often with some degree of kyphosis; commonly seen with COPD

Question 6

Biot respirations

Answer 6

irregular respirations varying in depth and interrupted by intervals of apnea that lacks repetitive pattern

Question 7

Bronchiectasis

Answer 7

chronic dilation of the bronchi or bronchioles caused by repeated infections or bronchial obstructions

Question 8

Bronchitis

Answer 8

inflammation of the large airways

Question 9

Bronchophony

Answer 9

an exaggeration of vocal resonance emanating from a bronchus surrounded by consolidated lung tissue (greater clarity and increased loudness of the spoken word)

Question 10

Bronchiolitis

Answer 10

inflammation of the bronchioles

Question 11

COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Answer 11

disease process which causes decreased ability of the lungs to perform their function of ventilation (nonspecific diagnosis that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema)

Question 12

Dyspnea

Answer 12

difficult and labored breathing, shortness of breath

Question 13

Egophony

Answer 13

the auditory quality associated with an increased intensity of the spoken voice along with nasal quality (e’s become stuffy broad a’s)

may be present in any condition that consolidates lung tissue

Question 14

Hemoptysis

Answer 14

the coughing up of blood or bloodstained sputum from the respiratory tree

Question 15

Kyphosis

Answer 15

an increased convex curvature of the thoracic spine

Question 16

Vesicular

Answer 16

*Normal breath sound

heard over most of the lung fields; low pitch, soft and short expirations

Question 17

Tubular

Answer 17

*Normal breath sound

heard only over trachea, high pitch; loud and long expirations, sometimes a bit longer than inspiration

Question 18

Bronchovesicular

Answer 18

*Normal breath sound

heard over main bronchus area and over upper right posterior lung field; medium pitch; expiration equals inspiration

Question 19

Orthopnea

Answer 19

shortness of breath that begins or increases when the patient lies down

Question 20

Pectoriloquy

Answer 20

a striking transmission of voice sounds through the pulmonary structures, so that they are clearly audible through the stethoscope; commonly occurs from lung consolidation

Question 21

Pectus carinatum (Pigeon chest)

Answer 21

forward protrusion of the sternum

Question 22

Pectus excavatum (Funnel chest)

Answer 22

depression of the sternum

Question 23

Resonance

Answer 23

quality of the sound heard on percussion of hollow structures such as the chest or abdomen

Question 24

Tachypnea

Answer 24

rapid, usually shallow, breathing

Question 25

Tactile fremitus

Answer 25

a tremor or vibration in any part of the body detected on palpation

Question 26

Whispered pectoriloquy

Answer 26

the transmission of a whisper in the same way as that of a more readily audible speech, commonly, detected when the lung is consolidated by pneumonia (increase in the volume of voice sounds)