EMT Patient Assessment Practice Test

Crackles (rales) indicate which condition?

Fluid in the lungs Air in the pleural space Airway obstruction Normal breath sounds

Correct Answer:

Fluid in the lungs

Explanation:

Crackles indicate fluid in the lungs. They’re produced when air moves through or around small amounts of fluid or secretions in the alveoli and small airways as they reopen during inspiration. This pattern is most commonly heard with pulmonary edema or other fluid-related lung conditions, and can also be heard with pneumonia or interstitial fluid buildup. Reasoning for why the other ideas don’t fit: air in the pleural space tends to cause decreased or absent breath sounds and may produce a hyperresonant chest or a pleural rub, not crackles; an airway obstruction usually causes wheezes or rhonchi rather than crackles; normal breath sounds would not include crackling noises.

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