Question

Breath sounds are very important in the assessment of a patient. Discuss three abnormal breath sounds, their significances and possible interventions.

Answer 1

Ans) Breath sounds (lung sounds) are the noises that the structures in the lungs make when a person breathes in and out.

- Thenormal sounds that people make when they breathe should hardly be noticeable.

- Abnormal breaths may sound strained, and odd noises may come from the lungs when the person inhales or exhales.

- Abnormal breathing may be a sign of an underlying issue or medical condition. Infections and other conditions that cause inflammation or fluid buildup in the lungs commonly cause unusual breath sounds.

- Types of Abnormal breath sounds:

Abnormal breathing often indicates an underlying medical issue.

There are several distinct types of abnormal breath sounds, including:

• Crackles: Also called rales, crackles tend to sound like discontinuous clicking, rattling, or bubbling when the person inhales. Crackling breath sounds may sound wet or dry, and doctors might describe them as either fine or coarse.
• Wheezing: Wheezing noises are high-pitched and continuous and may sound like a breathy whistle. Sometimes, wheezing can be loud enough to hear without a stethoscope. A squawk is a short version of a wheeze that occurs during inhalation.
• Rhonchi: Rhonchi are continuous, lower-pitched, rough sounds that many people compare to snoring.
• Stridor: Stridor is a harsh, high-pitched, wheeze-like sound. It occurs in people who have a blocked upper airway, usually when they are breathing in.

Interventions:

- Oxygen delivery and maintenance

- Teaching/assisting with IS

- Chest physiotherapy

- Positioning Suctioning; Turn, cough, deep breath (TCDB); Promote venous return

- Immunization/Prevent URIs

- Increase fluid intake