When listening to the chest of a chronic bronchitis patient, you expect to hear

• A. Rales
• B. Crackles
• C. Stridor
• D. Wheezing

Answer: (D)

Airway inflammation and mucus production in chronic bronchitis narrow the airways, so air moving through those passages creates a turbulent, high-pitched sound known as wheeze, typically best heard during expiration. This reflects obstructive change in the lower airways. Rales (crackles) come from fluid in the lungs and are more typical of pneumonia or pulmonary edema, not the primary pattern of chronic bronchitis. Stridor indicates upper airway obstruction and is heard mainly with inspiration, which isn’t the usual finding in chronic bronchitis. Secretions can produce rhonchi, a coarse sound that may clear with coughing, but wheezing is the classic sound associated with this condition.