Fundamentals of Lung Sounds

Wheeze Lesson #647

patient thorax when auscultating by stethoscope

The patient was seated during auscultation.

Description

Air flowing through a narrowed bronchus produces wheezes. Accordingly, these sounds will have their highest sound intensity when auscultating over or near the central airways.

Wheezes are adventitious lung sounds associated with secretions, obstructions, tumors, or airway compression. They are continuous sounds with a musical quality. High-pitched wheezes have a squeaking quality, while low-pitched wheezes are similar to snoring or moaning. The proportion of the respiratory cycle occupied by the wheeze roughly corresponds to the degree of airway obstruction.

Wheezes are also classified by when they appear in the respiratory cycle, e.g. inspiratory wheezing or a late expiratory wheeze, and by additional information about the sound quality (monophonic or polyphonic). These characteristics can be found in our Intermediate Lung Sounds module.

Phonocardiogram

Authors and Sources

Authors and Reviewers

Heart sounds by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD and David Lieberman, Developer, Virtual Cardiac Patient.
Lung sounds by Diane Wrigley, PA
Respiratory cases: William French
David Lieberman, Audio Engineering
Heart sounds mentorship by W. Proctor Harvey, MD
Special thanks for the medical mentorship of Dr. Raymond Murphy
Reviewed by Dr. Barbara Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN.
Last Update: 11/10/2021

Sources

Heart and Lung Sounds Reference Library Diane S. Wrigley
Publisher: PESI
Impact Patient Care: Key Physical Assessment Strategies and the Underlying Pathophysiology
Diane S Wrigley & Rosale Lobo
Practical Clinical Skills: Lung Sounds
Essential Lung Sounds Diane S. Wrigley, PA-C
Published by MedEdu LLC
PESI Faculty - Diane S Wrigley
Case Profiles in Respiratory Care 3rd Ed, 2019
William A.French
Published by Delmar Cengage
Essential Lung Sounds by William A. French
Published by Cengage Learning, 2011
Understanding Lung Sounds Steven Lehrer, MD
Clinical Heart Disease W Proctor Harvey, MD
Clinical Heart Disease
Laennec Publishing; 1st edition (January 1, 2009)
Heart and Lung Sounds Reference Guide
PracticalClinicalSkills.com