What does Rales mean in medical terms?

What does Rales mean in medical terms?

Rales. Small clicking, bubbling, or rattling sounds in the lungs. They are heard when a person breathes in (inhales). They are believed to occur when air opens closed air spaces. Rales can be further described as moist, dry, fine, or coarse.

What does expiratory crackles mean?

Crackles are the clicking, rattling, or crackling noises that may be made by one or both lungs of a human with a respiratory disease during inhalation. Crackles are caused by the “popping open” of small airways and alveoli collapsed by fluid, exudate, or lack of aeration during expiration.

What is the difference between crackles and Crepitations?

Crackles, still often referred to as “rales” in the United States and “crepitations” in Great Britain, consist of a series of short, explosive, nonmusical sounds that punctuate the underlying breath sound; fine crackles (Audio 16-4 ) are softer, shorter in duration, and higher in pitch than coarse crackles (Audio 16-5) …

What does fine crackles in the lungs mean?

Fine crackles could suggest an interstitial process; e.g pulmonary fibrosis, congestive heart failure. Coarse crackles are louder, more low pitched and longer lasting.

What do Rales and crackles indicate?

Crackles (or rales) are caused by fluid in the small airways or atelectasis. The popping sounds produced are created when air is forced through respiratory passages that are narrowed by fluid, mucus, or pus. Crackles are often associated with inflammation or infection of the small bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli.

Are Rales bad?

Rales heard over the lung bases are characteristic of heart failure that is of at least moderate severity. With acute pulmonary edema, rales are frequently accompanied by wheezing and expectoration of frothy, blood-tinged sputum.

What is Rhonchi a sign of?

Rhonchi. These low-pitched wheezing sounds sound like snoring and usually happen when you breathe out. They can be a sign that your bronchial tubes (the tubes that connect your trachea to your lungs) are thickening because of mucus. Rhonchi sounds can be a sign of bronchitis or COPD.

Does Rhonchi clear with coughing?

Rhonchi Definition Rhonchi are also called low-pitched wheezes. They are often caused by secretions in larger airways or obstructions. Rhonchi can be heard in patients with pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Coughing will often clear rhonchi.

Are Rhonchi heard on inspiration or expiration?

It is localized and can be palpable. Rhonchi are long continuous adventitious sounds, generated by obstruction to airways. When detected, note whether it is generalized or localized, during inspiration or expiration, and the pitch. Evaluate the rhonchus in upright, supine and decubitus positions.