Respiratory System Diagnostic Terms + Pathologies

auscultation

the ability to listen to air moving in or out of the plungs

percussion

the tapping on the surface of the chest

pleural rub

sound produced as the pleral membranes rub together (usually indicates inflammation or damage)

rales (crackles)

a sound that you hear when listening to the lungs that indicates fluid is accumulating

rhonchi (singular: rhoncus)

an obstruction caused by sputum

sputum

material coughed up from the lungs

stridor

a strained, high-pitched sound caused by an obstruction in the respiratory passageways

wheezes

a whistling sound usually heard during inhalation or exhalation

croup

a viral infection of children that can lead to obstruction of the larynx, causing a barking cough and stridor

diptheria

a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract

epistaxis

nose bleed

pertussis

whooping cough; highly contagious bacterial infection

asthma

a chronic inflammatory condition that involves bronchospasms

chronic bronchitis

a chronic inflammation of the respiratory regions

bronchiectasis

a chronic dilation of the bronchi

cystic fibrosis

an inherited disorder that leads to chronic inflammation and thick sputum that tends to obstruct airways

atelectasis

lung collapse

emphysema

hyper inflation of the lungs

lung cancer

leading cause of cancer-induced deaths in the U.S.

pneumonoconiosis

a condition of the lungs caused by inhaled particulates

pneumonia

acute inflammation of the lungs

pulmonary abscess

a collection of pus that occurs secondary to a bacterial infection that occurs in the lungs

pulmonary edema

fluid accumulation within the alveoli

pulmonary embolism (PE)

a blood clot that blocks a major blood vessel in the lung

pulmonary fibrosis

a condition where scar tissue forms within the connective tissue in the lungs that compromises the ability of the lungs to function properly

sarcoidosis

a chronic inflammation disease where small granules occur within the lung

tuberculosis (TB)

an infectious disease cause by micobacterium tuberculosis