What type of breath sounds might a nurse document when hearing swishing sounds during chest auscultation?

The presence of swishing sounds during chest auscultation indicates vesicular breath sounds. This type of sound is normally heard in healthy lungs and is characterized by a soft, low-pitched sound that resembles rustling or swishing. These sounds are primarily produced by air moving in and out through the small airways (alveoli) at the periphery of the lungs.

Vesicular breath sounds are typically heard over most lung fields during normal breathing and indicate that the air is moving smoothly through the lungs. The swishing quality is a result of the air entering and leaving the alveoli, which creates a gentle and melodic sound pattern.

In contrast, bronchial breath sounds are louder and higher in pitch, often associated with airflow through larger air passages, not small airways. Wheezing and rhonchi are abnormal breath sounds that are indicative of airway obstruction or secretions, distinguished by their musical or continuous qualities. Wheezing is a high-pitched whistle-like sound often associated with asthma or bronchospasm, whereas rhonchi are lower-pitched sounds caused by airflow through larger airways that may be blocked by secretions or mucus. Therefore, the documentation of swishing sounds points towards the presence of normal vesicular breath sounds in the lung