Harsh, high-pitched respiratory sound caused by obstruction of the air passages is called?

• A. Stridor
• B. Rhonchi
• C. Wheeze
• D. Atelectasis

Answer: (A)

The high-pitched, harsh breathing sound caused by narrowing of the upper airway is stridor. It results from turbulent airflow through a narrowed larynx or trachea and is most often heard during inspiration, signaling upper airway obstruction such as in croup, epiglottitis, or a foreign body. By contrast, rhonchi are low-pitched, snoring sounds from secretions in larger airways; wheeze is a high-pitched musical sound from bronchial narrowing and is typically expiratory or heard with both phases; atelectasis refers to collapse of lung tissue and usually presents with reduced breath sounds and dull percussion, not a distinct high-pitched noise.