Auscultation Location

Crackles - Early Inspiratory (Rales) Auscultation Reference

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Lesson

For heart sounds listen to the synthetic sound while reviewing this lesson.

Early inspiratory crackles (rales), as suggested by the title, begin and end during the early part of inspiration. The pitch is lower than late inspiratory crackles. A patient's cough may decrease or clear these lung sounds. Early inspiratory crackles suggest decreased FEV1 capacity and are characteristic of COPD.

As you listen to this sound, observe the waveform. This is a graph of sound amplitude (loudness) on the vertical axis vs time on the horizontal axis.

Additional Listening Tips

Occur early in inspiration. Can be lower pitched than late inspiratory crackles. Coughing may decrease or clear these crackles.

Auscultation Method

The recommended patient position is sitting

For this sound, use stethoscope's diaphragm The recommended auscultation position for the stethoscope is posterior-3l

Relevant Courses

If you wish to review a complete mobile concerning Crackles - Early Inspiratory (Rales) Auscultation Reference and related heart sounds, the modules(s) listed below may be useful. Each lesson includes text that explains the auscultatory sound and its clinical significance. The lesson also includes an audio track for playback. A waveform provides a great way to visualize the sounds. Finally, we also include an animation video. For heart sounds, the video illustrates heart muscle and valve movements along with blood flow. For lung sounds, the primary source of the sounds can be seen. Each module also includes a quiz.

Intermediate Lung Sounds

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Crackles - Early Inspiratory (Rales) Auscultation Reference