Assessing breath sounds

Question 1

Wheezing: sounds:

Answer 1

• high-pitched, musical, whistling sound

- best heard initially on exhalation

Question 2

Wheezing is an indication of:

Answer 2

swelling & constriction of the inner lining of the bronchioles

Question 3

Wheezing is usually heard in what conditions?

Answer 3

Asthma, emphysema, & chronic bronchitis.

May also be heard in pneumonia & CHF

Question 4

Rhonchi: sounds:

Answer 4

• snoring or rattling

Question 5

Rhonchi is an indication of:

Answer 5

obstruction of the larger conducting airways of the respiratory tract by thick secretions of mucous

Question 6

Rhonchi often heard in what conditions?

Answer 6

Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, aspiration, & pneumonia.

Question 7

One characteristic of rhonchi:

Answer 7

the quality of sound changes if the person coughs or sometimes even when the person changes position.

Question 8

Crackles (rales): sound:

Answer 8

• bubbly or crackling

- heard during inhalation

Question 9

What causes the sound of Crackles?

Answer 9

fluid that has surrounded or filled the alveoli or very small bronchioles.

Question 10

Crackles often heard in what conditions?

Answer 10

pulmonary edema & pneumonia

Question 11

Decreased oxygen in the bloodstream typically defined as an SpO2 of <94%

Answer 11

hypoxemia

Question 12

Shortness of breath

Answer 12

dyspnea

Question 13

complete respiratory arrest (no longer breathing)

Answer 13

apnea

Question 14

a reduced oxygen delivery to the tissues

Answer 14

hypoxia

Question 15

a drug that relaxes the smooth muscle of the bronchi and bronchioles and reverses bronchoconstriction

Answer 15

Bronchodilator (Beta2)

Question 16

Flail chest

Answer 16

two or more adjacent ribs fractured in two or more places

Question 17

an inadequate amount of oxygen-rich air entering the alveoli and passing across the alveolar membrane to the capillary

Answer 17

a ventilation disturbance

Question 18

an inadequate amount of blood traveling through the pulmonary capillaries

Answer 18

a perfusion disturbance

Question 19

leading to hypoxemia (decreased oxygen levels in the blood) & hypercarbia (increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood)

Answer 19

both a ventilation & perfusion disturbance in the lungs

Question 20

A patient who is having difficulty breathing but has an adequate tidal volume (chest rise) & respiratory rate is said to be in

Answer 20

respiratory distress

Question 21

If either the tidal volume or the respiratory rate becomes inadequate, the patient’s respiratory status becomes inadequate

Answer 21

respiratory failure

Question 22

when the patient’s breathing effort ceases completely. Leads to cardiac arrest in minutes

Answer 22

respiratory arrest

Question 23

Respiratory failure and respiratory arrest are treated with

Answer 23

positive pressure ventilation and supplemental oxygen

Question 24

increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood

Answer 24

hypercarbia

Question 25

Oxygen treatment for a pt.. with minor signs of respiratory distress:

Answer 25

nasal cannula at 2-4 lpm

Question 26

Oxygen treatment for a pt. with moderate to severe signs of respiratory distress:

Answer 26

continuous positive pressure ventilation (CPAP)

Question 27

Oxygen treatment for a pt. with severely decreased SpO2 & severe hypoxia:

Answer 27

higher concentrations of oxygen delivered by a nonrebreather mask at 15 lpm

Question 28

Oxygen treatment for a pt. in respiratory failure is

Answer 28

begin ventilation with a bag-valve-mask device or other ventilation device with supplemental oxygen

Question 29

Oxygen treatment for a pt. in respiratory arrest is

Answer 29

begin ventilation with a bag-valve-mask device or other ventilation device with supplemental oxygen

Question 30

Is wheezig an upper or lower airway sound?

Answer 30

Lower