Question

A client with a diagnosis of asthma is admitted to the hospital with reporter distress. Which type of adventitious lung sounds should the nurse expect to hear when performing a respiratory assessment on the client?

A. Stridor
B. Crackles
C. Wheezes
D. Diminished

Answer 1

When assessing a client with asthma, the nurse should expect to hear wheezes, which are high-pitched whistling sounds due to narrowed airways.

The correct answer is option C. wheezes

Step-by-step explanation:

A client with a diagnosis of asthma admitted to the hospital with reported distress is most likely to exhibit wheezes when a respiratory assessment is performed. Wheezing is the high-pitched whistling sound that occurs when air flows through narrowed airways, which is common in asthmatic patients.

Alternatives like stridor are associated with obstruction of the larger airways, crackles (or crepitation) are often found in conditions where there is fluid in the lungs, such as pneumonia, and diminished breath sounds can be a sign of poor air movement in the lung due to various causes.