RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Crackles: recording, analysis and clinical significance
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 2139
OP 2148
DO 10.1183/09031936.95.08122139
VO 8
IS 12
A1 P Piirila
A1 AR Sovijarvi
YR 1995
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/8/12/2139.abstract
AB Crackles are short interrupted breath sounds usually associated with pulmonary disorders. According to present opinion, a crackle is generated when an abnormally closed airway opens during inspiration or closes at the end of expiration. The timing of crackles in breathing cycles can be assessed with phonopneumography, their duration with time-expanded waveform analysis, and their pitch with analysis of frequency spectra. The timing, pitch and waveform of crackles are different in pulmonary disorders reflecting different pulmonary pathophysiology. This review deals with the genesis, auscultation, recording and analysis of crackles, with an emphasis on modern signal-processing methods.