Rhonchi

Rhonchi are low-pitched, continuous, coarse, snoring-like breath sounds. They arise when air moves through mucus or a partially narrowed larger airway, where the altered airflow makes the airway walls and secretions vibrate. The sound therefore points to the larger bronchial airways rather than proving a particular diagnosis. Rhonchi commonly occur with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute bronchitis, community-acquired pneumonia, bronchiectasis, and cystic fibrosis. They may be diffuse or localized, and they may change after coughing. When a productive cough clears the sound, mobile secretions are probably contributing. That change is useful, but it does not make the patient automatically safe: infection, impaired secretion clearance, or ongoing obstruction may still be present. The sound itself is less urgent than the patient’s ability to ventilate and oxygenate. An experienced nurse looks first at respiratory effort, speech, posture, mental status, oxygen saturation, and the trend from baseline. A patient with loud rhonchi who is speaking comfortably and maintaining their usual oxygenation may need a focused review. A patient with quieter breath sounds, exhaustion, confusion, or rising oxygen needs may be deteriorating even if...