Final answer:
In a patient with atelectasis, a nurse would typically find crackling in the affected areas and absent breath sounds. Crackles are caused by collapsed or fluid-filled alveoli attempting to open, whereas absent breath sounds indicate diminished pulmonary ventilation in the affected lung region.
Step-by-step explanation:
The breath sounds that a nurse would expect to find in a patient with atelectasis typically include crackling in the affected areas and absent breath sounds. Atelectasis refers to the partial or complete collapse of a lung or a section (lobe) of a lung. When the alveoli within the lung become deflated or filled with alveolar fluid, this causes a reduction in pulmonary ventilation, which can lead to diminished or absent breath sounds in the collapsed area.
In atelectasis, the sound of crackles or crepitations might be heard over the affected region during inhalation because the alveoli are trying to open during breathing but remain collapsed or filled with fluid. These sounds are different from wheezes, which are continuous high-pitched whistles typically associated with narrowed airways from conditions like asthma or COPD, and from rhonchi, which are low-pitched sounds resembling snoring or rattling caused by obstruction or secretions within the larger airways.
Therefore, the correct choices for the types of breath sounds in a patient with atelectasis are crackling in affected areas and absent breath sounds.