What it means
An extra lung sound, like hair rubbed between the fingers or bubbles popping, made when small airways or air sacs that were closed or filled with fluid snap open. Fine crackles are soft and high-pitched; coarse crackles are louder, lower and wetter. They are often heard at the bases (bottoms) of the lungs. Some may clear with a cough. They used to be called rales.
For the nurse
Listen front and back, top to bottom, comparing sides, and note where the crackles are and whether they clear with coughing. New or spreading crackles, with a drop in oxygen saturation or more shortness of breath, need to be reported.
In a chart
"Fine crackles bilateral lung bases on inspiration; do not clear with cough."
At a glance
| Spanish | crepitante, estertor |
|---|---|
| Also written | crackles, rale, rales |
Related terms
stridor
A high-pitched, harsh sound made while breathing, usually heard when breathing in.
pulmonary edema
A buildup of fluid in the air sacs and tissues of the lungs.
pneumonia
An infection of one or both lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus.
wheezing
A high-pitched, whistling sound made as air moves through narrowed airways.
auscultation
Listening to the sounds inside the body, usually with a stethoscope.