Which type of breath sounds are not usually heard over the chest?

• A. Adventitious breath sounds
• B. Vesicular breath sounds
• C. Bronchial breath sounds
• D. Tracheal breath sounds

Answer: (A)

Adventitious breath sounds are abnormal sounds that aren’t normally heard in a healthy chest. They show up when something in the airways or lungs is altered—for example, crackles from fluid in the airways or alveoli, wheezes from narrowed airways, or rhonchi from secretions. Because these sounds aren’t expected in a normal exam, their presence signals an underlying issue that needs assessment. By contrast, the other sounds are standard in certain locations: vesicular sounds are the soft, low-pitched sounds heard over most of the lungs; bronchial sounds are louder and harsher and typically heard over the trachea or around the sternum; and tracheal sounds are loud, tubular sounds heard over the trachea. Therefore, adventitious breath sounds are the ones not usually heard over the chest.