Question

When performing a respiratory assessment, you auscultate wet, popping sounds at the inspiratory phase of each respiratory cycle. These sounds are best identified as:

a) Wheezes
b) Rhonchi
c) Crackles
d) Stridor

Answer 1

Wet, popping sounds in the inspiratory phase during a respiratory assessment are identified as crackles, which are often associated with conditions like pneumonia.

Step-by-step explanation:

When performing a respiratory assessment and hearing wet, popping sounds at the inspiratory phase of each respiratory cycle, these sounds are best identified as crackles. Crackles are a common finding in conditions such as pneumonia, where the lungs fill with mucus, leading to the crepitation (crackling sound) that can be auscultated. Wheezes, rhonchi, and stridor can also be heard in various respiratory conditions, but they have different acoustic characteristics. Wheezes are usually associated with narrowed airways, as in asthma; stridor is a high-pitched sound indicating upper airway obstruction; and rhonchi are low-pitched, snore-like sounds suggesting secretions in the larger airways.