Crackles (Rales) in Lung Bases
Popping or clicking sounds heard during inhalation, indicating the popping open of small airways collapsed by fluid or exudate.
Description
The practitioner places a stethoscope on various points of the patient's anterior and posterior chest wall to listen to airflow. Invented by René Laennec in 1816, this fundamental clinical and holistic assessment translates acoustic profiles into diagnostic clues. It helps detect abnormal fluid movement or airway narrowing.