Lung auscultation remains thus an important part of the respiratory examination, mainly in primary care and in resource-constrained settings. There are some obvious advantages of lung auscultation, such as availability, low cost and non-invasiveness. Two hundred years after its invention, the relevance of the stethoscope in modern medical practice has become a topic of debate. The presence of findings in two or more auscultation sites was associated with a higher risk of decreased lung function than solitary findings. The adventitious sounds were also associated with self-reported disease, current smoking and measures of lung function.

Age was the most important predictor of adventitious sounds, particularly crackles. Nearly over a quarter of adults present adventitious lung sounds on auscultation. Wheezes were mostly found during expiration and crackles during inspiration. The age-standardized prevalence of wheezes was 18.6% in women and 15.3% in men, and of crackles, 10.8 and 9.4%, respectively. Twenty-eight percent of individuals had wheezes or crackles. We estimated age-standardized prevalence of wheezes and crackles and associations between wheezes and crackles and variables of interest were analyzed with univariable and multivariable logistic regressions. Pulse oximetry and spirometry were carried out. We recorded lung sounds in 4033 individuals 40 years or older and collected information on self-reported disease. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of wheezes and crackles in a large general adult population and explore associations with self-reported disease, smoking status and lung function. However, their prevalence in a general population has been sparsely described.

Wheezes and crackles are well-known signs of lung diseases, but can also be heard in apparently healthy adults.

Crackling sound in lungs when exhale