Fine crackles are characteristically heard as sounding like the popping of a wood fire or velcro being pulled apart. Early inspiratory and expiratory crackles frequently accompany chronic bronchitis, while late inspiratory crackles can indicate more serious medical conditions such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure (CHF), or atelectasis.
Crackles - Fine (Rales) Sounds
Half Speed Crackles - Fine (Rales) Sounds
Technique
The patient's position should be seated.
Auscultation Tips for Crackles - Fine (Rales)
Features:Rales are brief, discontinuous, popping sounds that are high-pitched. Similar to wood burning in a fireplace. More commonly heard during inspirationSound Wave
Authors and Sources
Authors and Reviewers
- EKG heart rhythm modules: Thomas O'Brien.
- EKG monitor simulation developer: Steve Collmann
-
12 Lead Course: Dr. Michael Mazzini, MD.
- Spanish language EKG: Breena R. Taira, MD, MPH
- Medical review: Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
-
Heart sounds and mentorship: W. Proctor Harvey, MD
- Medical review: Dr. Pedro Azevedo, MD, Cardiology
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Last Update: 1/8/2023
Sources
-
Electrocardiography for Healthcare Professionals, 5th Edition
Kathryn Booth and Thomas O'Brien
ISBN10: 1260064778, ISBN13: 9781260064773
McGraw Hill, 2019 -
Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition
Dale Dublin
Cover Publishing Company -
12 Lead EKG for Nurses: Simple Steps to Interpret Rhythms, Arrhythmias, Blocks, Hypertrophy, Infarcts, & Cardiac Drugs
Aaron Reed
Create Space Independent Publishing -
Heart Sounds and Murmurs: A Practical Guide with Audio CD-ROM 3rd Edition
Elsevier-Health Sciences Division
Barbara A. Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN - Clinical Heart Disease
W Proctor Harvey, MD
Clinical Heart Disease
Laennec Publishing; 1st edition (January 1, 2009) -
The Virtual Cardiac Patient: A Multimedia Guide to Heart Sounds, Murmurs, EKG
Jonathan Keroes, David Lieberman
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkin)
ISBN-10: 0781784425; ISBN-13: 978-0781784429 - Project Semilla, UCLA Emergency Medicine, EKG Training Breena R. Taira, MD, MPH
Crackles - Fine (Rales) | Auscultation Cheat Sheet with Sounds & Video | #72
