Tuberc Respir Dis.  1985 Dec;32(4):240-244. 10.4046/trd.1985.32.4.240.

Lung Sound Terminology

• KMID: 2528720
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1985.32.4.240

Abstract

Accurate description of lung sound is important in medical records. Terminology remains inexact, however, and different physicians use different terms to describe similar sounds. Lung sounds described in literatures fall into three general categories: breath sounds, discontinuous adventitious sounds and continuous adventitious sounds. We tried to review which words are preferred at present and how much disparity in nomenclature exists. We reviewed 323 case reports which described lung sounds among the total 1,352 reports in three major journals from 1950 through 1985. Twenty different discontinuous sounds were mentioned frequently; rales 44 times and moist rales 6 times. Thirteen different continuous sound were described less often; rhonchi 6 times, wheeze 4 times and stridor 1 time. Usage of various terms according to the years were reviewed. We also confirmed that English-Korean medical dictionaries make one confused in usage of correct medical terminology.