Respiratory sounds

Bronchial

listen

Bronchiovesicular

listen

Vesicular

listen

Crackles (fine)

listen

Crackles (course)

listen

Rhonchi

listen

Wheezing

listen

Stridor

listen

Bronchial sounds

• above the manubrium, over the trachea

• Harsh, high-pitched, and loud

Bronchovesicular sounds

• over the main bronchi

• Medium in loudness

• medium in pitch

Vesicular sounds

• over the lower bronchi, the bronchioles, and the lobes

• Softest sound

• Lowest pitch

Decreased breath sounds

Softer and less prominent than normal sounds

(listen)

Increased breath sounds

A normal sound is not normal if it is in the wrong place

• bronchial or bronchovesicular sounds are often heard in peripheral lung tissue where vesicular sounds are supposed to be heard

Adventitious sounds

Abnormal sounds in addition to the normal lung sounds

Adventitious sounds

Abnormal sounds in addition to the normal lung sounds

Course crackle sounds

Loud, low pitched bubbling sounds that are caused when air meets secretions in the large airways

• short crackling sounds

• Low pitched

• Normally in the trachea and large bronchi

• Sound like separating a Velcro fastener

Rhonchi sounds

continous, low-pitched snoring sounds caused by airway obstruction

• low snoring sounds

• low-pitched

• in the bronchi

Wheezing sounds

high-pitched musical sounds that are created by the narrowing of airways

• long musical sounds

• high-pitched

• can be in all lung fields

Stridor sounds

loud, continuous, high-pitched crowing sound that is caused by upper airway obstruction

• most serious adventitious sound and requires immediate attention

• long crowing sound

• high-pitched

• in the trachea

• usually audible without a stethoscope