The nurse is auscultating the lungs of a sleeping patient and notes short,popping,crackling sounds that stop after a few breaths.The nurse recognizes that these breath sounds are:

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Atelectatic crackles,which are a type of adventitious sound,are not pathological.They are short,popping,crackling sounds that sound like fine crackles but do not last beyond a few breaths.When sections of alveoli are not fully aerated (as in people who are asleep or in older adults),they deflate slightly and accumulate secretions.Crackles are heard when these sections are expanded by a few deep breaths.Atelectatic crackles are heard only in the periphery,usually in dependent portions of the lungs,and disappear after the first few breaths or after a cough.

The Nurse Is Auscultating the Lungs of a Sleeping Patient