HESI (Health and Environmental Sciences Institute) Health Assessment Practice Test

Fine crackles, often described as high-pitched and short-duration sounds, are usually indicative of fluid in the alveoli or small airways. During the immediate newborn period, it is common to hear fine crackles due to the presence of amniotic fluid in the lungs as the newborn begins to breathe air for the first time. This fluid can cause transient crackling sounds as the air moves through the still-hydrated alveolar structures, typically resolving within the first few hours after birth as the lungs clear the remaining fluid.

In contrast, other populations such as a healthy adult, a pregnant woman, or individuals with pulmonary edema may present different respiratory sounds. A healthy adult usually has clear lung sounds, while a pregnant woman may experience changes due to physiological alterations during pregnancy but typically does not present with fine crackles. In individuals with pulmonary edema, although crackles might be present, they are likely to be coarse rather than fine, and their condition is more directly linked to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs rather than the transient fluid present at birth.