Question

The nurse is auscultating the lungs to listen for breath sounds. What sounds will indicate that the nurse is auscultating correctly?

A. The nurse will hear the diffusion of air and carbon dioxide.
B. The nurse will hear the air move in and out of the lungs.
C. The nurse will hear a "lub/dub" sound.
D. The nurse will hear gurgling noises.

Answer 1

The nurse will hear air moving in and out of the lungs when auscultating correctly. Auscultation is performed to listen to the normal respiratory sounds and to detect any anomalies that may indicate lung conditions like fluid accumulation or airway obstruction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct option : b

The nurse will hear the air move in and out of the lungs. This is a fundamental aspect of lung auscultation where the clinician is listening for normal respiratory sounds, such as the soft, rustling sound of air passing through the bronchial tree and into the alveoli. Auscultation is a common procedure used to assess the respiratory system and is performed with a stethoscope. A clinician listens for the characteristic sounds of breathing, such as vesicular, bronchial, and bronchovesicular breath sounds. These sounds reflect the normal flow of air through the airways. Vesicular breathing, heard over most lung fields, is low-pitched and soft. Bronchial breathing, over the trachea, is higher-pitched and louder, while bronchovesicular sounds are a mix, heard over major bronchi.

Anomalies in breath sounds can indicate a variety of lung conditions. For instance, rales or crackling noises may suggest fluid in the lung's air spaces, whereas wheezing indicates obstructed airways, often seen in asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Diminished breath sounds might be a sign of air or fluid in the pleural spaces or decreased airflow due to various lung conditions. While patients with pneumonia may exhibit crackling sounds due to the presence of mucus in the lungs.