Lung sounds of a patient having an anaphylactic reaction?
During an anaphylactic reaction, there is constriction of respiratory muscles and bronchial airways narrowing. This leads to generalized wheezing due to increased airway resistance and turbulence causing the expiratory phase of breathing to become prolonged. The characteristic lung sound associated with anaphylaxis is high-pitched wheezing, which can be heard throughout both inspiration and expiration. There may also be audible expiratory rhonchi, which are low-pitched sounds produced by secretions in the airways. Crackles may be heard in some cases if pulmonary edema has developed as a result of the anaphylactic reaction.
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