Crackles: Recording, analysis and clinical significance

Abstract

Crackles are short interrupted breath sounds usually associated with pulmonary disorders. According to present opinion, a crackle is generated when an abnormally closed airway opens during inspiration or closes at the end of expiration. The timing of crackles in breathing cycles can be assessed with phonopneumography, their duration with time-expanded waveform analysis, and their pitch with analysis of frequency spectra. The timing, pitch and waveform of crackles are different in pulmonary disorders reflecting different pulmonary pathophysiology. This review deals with the genesis, auscultation, recording and analysis of crackles, with an emphasis on modern signal-processing methods.