Question

A 14-year-old high school student comes to the clinic for a 3-month history of periodic dyspnea when playing basketball. It resolves shortly after resting. He has not had fever, chills, cough, sputum production, or chest pain. He has no history of serious illness. Based on the boy's history, asthma is suspected. Which of the following sounds heard on expiration during lung auscultation would be most suggestive of asthma?

A. Stridor
B. Wheezes
C. Mediastinal crunch
D. Rhonchi
E. Pleural rub

Answer 1

Wheezes heard on expiration during lung auscultation would be most suggestive of asthma in the 14-year-old student, as this sound is indicative of the narrowed airways characteristically seen in asthmatic conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the history provided by the 14-year-old high school student who experiences periodic dyspnea when playing basketball, asthma is indeed suspected. Wheezes heard on expiration during lung auscultation would be most suggestive of asthma. Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound made while breathing, usually heard clearly on expiration, and is a typical sign of narrowed airways in asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease which leads to swelling and narrowing of the airways, often with excessive mucus production. Other sounds, such as stridor, are typically associated with upper respiratory obstruction, while crackles or crepitations suggest conditions like pneumonia, and a pleural rub is associated with pleurisy.