Then you have bronchovesicular - these are heard over the smaller bronchioles and can be heard along the sternum in the center of the chest, as well as between the shoulder blades on the back. They’re high-pitched, loud, and also sound hollow. These are heard over the bronchi, so you’d hear them right at the top of the sternum below the clavicle. They’re harsh and hollow, like blowing through a big pipe, which is exactly what the trachea is.

Tracheal lung sounds, as you would assume, are heard over the trachea. If it doesn’t, we know there’s a problem. What’s important to know here is that each area of the lung should sound a certain way. So there are four main normal lung sounds. Just don’t ‘diagnose’.Įach area of the lung should have a specific sound - if any other sound is heard in that location, there is a disease process occurring. It’s okay to teach the patient about what you are hearing and what it usually means.Identify and treat cause of adventitious sound.hemothorax, pneumothorax, pleural effusion Indicates fluid or air around lung, preventing expansion.Indicates inflammation of lining or presence of mass.High-pitched, loud, usually inspiration.Indicates narrowing of main airways (trachea, bronchi).Indicate narrowing of small air passages.Indicate sputum or fluid in air passages.Center of anterior chest, 3rd and 4th ICS next to sternum.Over bronchi, 1st and 2nd intercostal spaces (ICS).Each area of the lung should have a specific sound – if any other sound is heard in that location, there is a disease process occurring.

Lung sound locations