Final answer:
When auscultating the lungs, a nurse assesses air flow, listens for abnormal sounds, and may evaluate the volume of air exhaled or inhaled. Edema is indirectly suggested by auscultatory findings but is more directly assessed through physical exam and imaging. Observations during auscultation can guide further diagnostic testing like spirometry, which measures lung volumes and capacities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Assessments Made When Auscultating the Lungs
When auscultating the lungs, a nurse evaluates several aspects of respiratory health. One key observation includes the air flow through the respiratory passage, which can reveal the presence of airway obstructions as seen in conditions like asthma or emphysema. The nurse would listen for normal breath sounds and any abnormal sounds, such as crackles, wheezing, or absence of breath sounds, which could indicate fluid in the lungs or other issues. Additionally, the nurse may assess the volume of air exhaled or inhaled, evaluating aspects like forced expiratory volume (FEV) and forced vital capacity (FVC). The presence of edema is typically assessed through physical examination and sometimes with imaging, rather than solely through auscultation. However, auscultation findings can suggest complications associated with edema.
Lung volumes and lung capacity can reveal restrictive or obstructive lung diseases. For instance, a reduced FEV1/FVC ratio may suggest an obstructive pathology such as asthma, where the patient finds it difficult to exhale air quickly; conversely, a high FEV1/FVC ratio may suggest restrictive diseases like fibrosis, where the lungs are stiff and non-compliant. The lung capacity and volumes are typically measured using spirometry, which is a separate process from auscultation but may be considered in conjunction with auscultation findings to provide a comprehensive assessment of lung health.