What is the sound made when the visceral and parietal membranes move against each other during respiration due to inflammation or disease?

What is the sound made when the visceral and parietal membranes move against each other during respiration due to inflammation or disease?

• A. Rales
• B. Stridor
• C. Rhonchi
• D. Pleural rub

Answer: (D)

During normal breathing the pleural surfaces glide smoothly because of a small amount of lubricating fluid. When inflammation or disease irritates or thickens these pleural layers, they become rough and the lubrication is reduced, so the visceral and parietal membranes rub together as the lungs move. That friction produces a dry, scratchy, grating sound heard on auscultation—the pleural rub. It’s often best heard over the lower lateral chest and may be present during inspiration and/or expiration, reflecting pleural inflammation such as pleuritis. Other sounds like rales are crackles from airways fluid, stridor is a harsh upper airway noise, and rhonchi are coarse wheezes from secretions in larger airways.

During normal breathing the pleural surfaces glide smoothly because of a small amount of lubricating fluid. When inflammation or disease irritates or thickens these pleural layers, they become rough and the lubrication is reduced, so the visceral and parietal membranes rub together as the lungs move. That friction produces a dry, scratchy, grating sound heard on auscultation—the pleural rub. It’s often best heard over the lower lateral chest and may be present during inspiration and/or expiration, reflecting pleural inflammation such as pleuritis. Other sounds like rales are crackles from airways fluid, stridor is a harsh upper airway noise, and rhonchi are coarse wheezes from secretions in larger airways.