During the physical examination, you use a stethoscope to listen to the patient's lungs and you hear fine crackles in the lower lobes. Suppose you are working in the respiratory ward and you notice a patient with a chronic cough. When the heart is unable to pump the blood adequately, this can lead to fluid accumulation in the lungs, causing fine crackles.Ĭhronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD)Īlthough less common, fine crackles can be heard in severe cases of COPD due to the trapping of air in the lungs and fluid overload. This thickened stiff tissue makes it harder to breathe and leads to fine crackles. In this condition, the lung tissue gets damaged and scarred. Diseases Leading to Fine Crackles Breath Sounds PneumoniaĪs an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs, pneumonia frequently causes fine crackles due to fluid in the lungs. Why do fine crackles occur, you may wonder? There are numerous health conditions and diseases where fine crackles might be observed - from localized infections to more serious conditions like fibrosis and heart failure. For instance, crackles heard late in inspiration are often associated with restrictive lung diseases, while those heard early in inspiration suggest obstructive airway diseases. Additionally, when listening for crackles, timing is important. They are usually softer and higher in pitch compared to coarse crackles that are more typical of larger airway secretions or conditions. Fine crackles often indicate a type of fluid or secretion in the smaller airways (bronchioles).

Lung sounds crackles