ademgeruis

Ademgeruis is the Dutch term for breath sounds heard during lung auscultation with a stethoscope. It refers to the audible noises produced by air moving through the airways and alveoli as part of the breathing process. Clinicians distinguish normal and abnormal ademgeruis to help assess respiratory health and identify potential pathology.

Normal ademgeruis includes vesicular and bronchial sounds, which reflect air movement in the lungs and bronchi. Vesicular sounds are soft and low-pitched over most of the lung fields, while bronchial sounds are louder and more tubular, typically heard over the trachea. Abnormal ademgeruis may indicate underlying lung disease or acute illness and requires clinical interpretation in context with symptoms and imaging.

Common abnormal breath sounds include crackles (crepitations), which can be fine or coarse and are often associated with fluid in the airspaces or early involvement of lung tissue; wheezes, which are musical or whistling sounds from narrowed airways; rhonchi, longer low-pitched sounds suggesting mucus in larger airways; and pleural friction rub, a grating sound from inflamed pleural surfaces. Stridor is a high-pitched sound arising from upper airway obstruction. The presence and character of these sounds help guide differential diagnosis, including infections, chronic obstructive or restrictive lung disease, edema, and pneumothorax.

Evaluation of ademgeruis combines auscultation findings with clinical history, physical examination, imaging, and sometimes laboratory tests to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.