Causes Of Hyperresonance in Auscultation

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What is Auscultation

Physicians perform auscultation when they listen to a patient’s body sounds using a stethoscope. Doctors listen to the sounds of the patient’s heart, lungs, chest and even intestines. From this kind of evaluation they can determine the intensity, duration, frequency and quality of these sounds and the consequent health of the body. Doctors can also use auscultation to listen to an unborn baby’s heart sounds using either a stethoscope or a Doppler ultrasound machine that measures sound waves.

What is Hyperresonance

Hyperresonant sounds are increased vibrations that are higher pitched than normal. These hyperresonant sounds might indicate a serious condition known as pneumothorax, also known as a collapsed lung. When doctors are auscultating a patient’s breathing and they do not hear any breath sounds, this might indicate that the lung is not filling the chest cavity properly. If this condition is accompanied by hyperresonant sounds when they percuss, or thump, the chest wall, then this might be caused by pneumathorax. This can be confirmed by what is known as the “coin test”. This test is performed by tapping two coins on the affected side of the patient’s chest. If the test is positive, then the coins will produce a resonant tinkling sound that the doctor can hear when he or she performs auscultation. The diagnosis of pneumothorax can be confirmed by a chest x-ray. But often emergency treatment must be performed as the condition can be life threatening. The subsequent x-ray can show a collapsed lung.

What is pneumathorax

A collapsed lung is also known as air around the lung, air outside the lung, pneumothorax and spontaneous pneumothorax. Pneumothorax is the cause of hyperresonance and it needs to be treated immediately. It means that air has become trapped in the pleural cavity of the chest. The extra air that is trapped makes the sound resonate rather than dampen as it changes from one medium to another.

Pneumothorax can occur suddenly, even when a person is asleep. The symptoms of pneumothorax include a sudden shortness of breath, dry cough, the person turning blue (cyanosis) and the onset of pain in the chest, back or arms. Wounds that penetrate the chest can also cause pneumothorax. One might hear the sound of air flowing through the place where the chest has been punctured or a flopping sound coming from the punctured lung. This is known as an open pneumothorax. Another symptom could be subcutaneous emphysema, or emphysema that is under the skin. Sometimes healthy young people have been known to suffer from spontaneous pneumothorax.

Symptoms of Pneumothorax

Symptoms of a pneumothorax include chest pain that usually has a sudden onset. The pain is sharp and may lead to feelings of tightness in the chest. Shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, cough, and fatigue are other symptoms of pneumothorax. The skin may develop a bluish color (termed cyanosis) due to decreases in blood oxygen levels.

Causes of Pneumothorax

Common causes of pneumothorax, apart from a penetrating chest wound, include certain medical procedures, such as the insertion of a central venous catheter into the subclavian vein, asthma or other lung pathologies such as emphysema and acute or chronic infections such as tuberculosis, lung damage caused by cystic fibrosis or lung cancer. It can also occur as the result of certain rare diseases in women. A collapsed lung can also result from smoking cigarettes or marijuana and from engaging in such extreme sports as scuba diving, flying or climbing at high altitudes.

Who is at Risk For Pneumothorax

Spontaneous pneumothorax affects about 9,000 persons each year in the U.S. who have no history of lung disease. This type of pneumothorax is most common in men between the ages of 20 and 40, particularly in tall, thin men. Smoking has been shown to increase the risk for spontaneous pneumothorax.

Sometimes a small pneumothorax improves on its own. The patient may need only to rest and to receive oxygen. A needle can remove the extra air from around the lung so that the lung can begin to expand again. A large pneumothorax needs more treatment. A chest tube may be inserted and kept in place for a few days. It is placed between the ribs to drain the extra air around the lungs and to enable the lung to expand. Extra oxygen allows the air to be absorbed back into the lung more quickly. Sometimes lung surgery will have to be performed.

Types of Pneumothorax

1. Open pneumothorax: results when a penetrating chest wound enables air to rush in and cause the lungs to collapse.

2. Closed pneumothorax: results when the chest wall is punctured or air leaks from a ruptured bronchus (or a perforated esophagus) and eventually ruptures into the pleural space.

3. Spontaneous pneumothorax: occurs in a previously healthy individual with no prior trauma. This is thought to be due to rupture of a bleb on the surface of the lung. This spontaneous pneumothorax is most frequent in people under the age of 40.

4. Pulmonary barotrauma: occurs when a patient whose lung function is being maintained mechanically may have air forced into the lungs, which may rupture the pleural space.

Resources about Pneumothorax

MedicineNet.com answers common question such as:
What is a pneumothorax?
What are the types of pneumothorax?
What are the causes of pneumothorax?
Who is at risk for pneumothorax?
What is a tension pneumothorax?
What are the signs and symptoms of pneumothorax?
How is pneumothorax diagnosed?
How is pneumothorax treated?
What is the outcome (prognosis) of pneumothorax?

MayoClinic.com information about Pneumothorax

Resource by E.Trio

I am an online writer and soon to be published author. I grew up in Southern California, but I currently live in the Bay Area while I work on my books. I enjoy camping and hiking with my dog Max or just relaxing on the back porch while I write. Stay tuned for my first children’s book to be released about Max.

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