During palpation of the anterior chest wall, the nurse notices a coarse, crackling sensation over the skin surface. What does this finding indicate?

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Crepitus is a coarse, crackling sensation palpable over the skin surface. It occurs in subcutaneous emphysema when air escapes from the lung and enters the subcutaneous tissue, such as after open thoracic injury or surgery. A pleural friction rub is produced when inflammation of the parietal or visceral pleura causes a decrease in the normal lubricating fluid. The opposing surfaces make a coarse grating sound when rubbed together during breathing and is best detected by auscultation, not palpation. Tactile fremitus occurs with conditions that increase the density of lung tissue, thereby making a better conducting medium for palpable vibrations, not a coarse crackling sensation. Adventitious sounds are abnormal lung sounds heard by auscultation, not palpated.

During Palpation of the Anterior Chest Wall, the Nurse Notices