What are the characteristics of crackles in pneumonia?
Although Laënnec considered them very similar to those of hemoptysis and pulmonary edema, their
characteristics depend very much on the stage of pneumonia, as demonstrated by computerized sound
analysis. In the acute setting, crackles are predominantly coarse and mid-inspiratory, resembling
those of bronchiectasis. During recovery, however, they tend to become shorter, more end inspiratory, and
thus similar to the crackles of pulmonary fibrosis.
Although Laënnec considered them very similar to those of hemoptysis and pulmonary edema, their
characteristics depend very much on the stage of pneumonia, as demonstrated by computerized sound
analysis. In the acute setting, crackles are predominantly coarse and mid-inspiratory, resembling
those of bronchiectasis. During recovery, however, they tend to become shorter, more end inspiratory, and
thus similar to the crackles of pulmonary fibrosis.