Auscultation provides important information regarding the lungs and pleura. Auscultation evaluates air flow through the tracheopulmonary tree, the presence of added or adventitious breath sounds, and transmission of the patient's spoken voice. In conjunction with percussion, auscultation helps to evaluate the surrounding pulmonary parenchyma and pleural space.
Normal breath sounds differ over various portions of the lungs with regard to intensity, pitch, and relative duration of inspiratory and expiratory phases. Note these characteristics as you listen in different areas. Normal breath sounds are generally softer at the apices and become louder at the bases. Normal breath sounds include vesicular, bronchial and bronchovesicular breath sounds. It is important to know where these sounds are normally heard as hearing certain sounds in locations where they are not normally found may signify pathology.
Click on the interactive icon for specific descriptions of these sounds, and for practice listening to these sounds. |
Abnormal or adventitious breath sounds may indicate the presence of pathology and are generally divided into two categories: discontinuous and continuous sounds. Discontinuous adventitious breath sounds include crackles (also called rales). Continuous sounds include ronchi and wheezes. When describing adventitious sounds, the timing of these sounds in the respiratory cycle should be noted (e.g. "late inspiratory crackles" or "inspiratory and expiratory wheezes") as well as their location, and whether they clear with coughing or not.
Click on the interactive icon for specific descriptions of these sounds, and for practice listening to these sounds. |