Which term describes a nonmusical sound heard in the lungs?

Study for the Galen Fundamentals of Nursing Exam. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam confidently!

Multiple Choice

Which term describes a nonmusical sound heard in the lungs?

Explanation:
Crackles are nonmusical, brief, popping sounds heard with auscultation that occur as air moves through small, reopened airways. They often indicate that air is negotiating airways or alveoli that were previously collapsed or fluid-filled, as seen with pulmonary edema, pneumonia, or interstitial changes. This contrasts with musical sounds like wheezes, which come from narrowed airways, and with sounds that aren’t lung noises at all. Stridor is an upper airway obstruction sound heard over the trachea, while tachycardia is a heart rate issue and dyspnea is a sensation of breathlessness, not a sound.

Crackles are nonmusical, brief, popping sounds heard with auscultation that occur as air moves through small, reopened airways. They often indicate that air is negotiating airways or alveoli that were previously collapsed or fluid-filled, as seen with pulmonary edema, pneumonia, or interstitial changes. This contrasts with musical sounds like wheezes, which come from narrowed airways, and with sounds that aren’t lung noises at all. Stridor is an upper airway obstruction sound heard over the trachea, while tachycardia is a heart rate issue and dyspnea is a sensation of breathlessness, not a sound.

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