Low pitched, snore-like sounds heard on auscultation are called?

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

Answer: (C)

Low-pitched, snore-like sounds heard with stethoscope auscultation are rhonchi. These coarse, rattling noises arise when air moves through secretions or mucus in the larger airways, and they often clear after coughing. This helps distinguish them from other adventitious sounds: stridor is a high-pitched, harsh sound from upper airway obstruction; wheeze is a continuous, musical, high-pitched sound from narrowed airways (often smaller airways) and is usually heard during expiration; tachypnea refers to rapid breathing, not a specific sound. In clinical context, rhonchi suggest mucus in the airways, as seen with bronchitis or COPD with secretions.