the sounds heard through a stethoscope placed over the lungs during breathing. Normal breath sounds are soft and called vesicular - they may be increased or decreased in disease states. The sounds heard over the larger bronchi are louder and harsher. Breath sounds transmitted through consolidated lungs in pneumonia are louder and harsher; they are similar to the sounds heard normally over the larger bronchi and are termed bronchial breath sounds. crepitation and rhonchus are sounds added to the breath sounds in abnormal states of the lung. Amphoric or cavernous sounds have a hollow quality and are heard over cavities in the lung; the amphoric quality may also be heard in voice sounds and on percussion.
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auscultatory sounds heard in relation to the patient's breathing; they are usually listened for over a lung or a bronchus. Types include bronchial, bronchovesicular, vesicular, and cavernous breath sounds. Cf. adventitious sounds.Medical dictionary. 2011.