In breath sound assessment, adventitious refers to what?

• A. Sounds that occur in addition to normal or abnormal breath sounds.
• B. Lack of any breath sounds.
• C. Normal vesicular breath sounds.
• D. Only wheezing sounds.

Answer: (A)

Adventitious breath sounds are extra, abnormal sounds heard during auscultation that are superimposed on the normal breath sounds. They signal a problem in the airways or surrounding structures and can include crackles, wheezes, rhonchi, or pleural rubs. They are not the normal vesicular breath sounds, nor the absence of sound, and they’re not limited to just wheezing—the term covers several types of unusual sounds heard in addition to what you’d normally expect. So the best description is sounds that occur in addition to normal or typical breath sounds.