The nurse is auscultating the lungs of a patient who had been sleeping and notices short, popping, crackling sounds that stop after a few breaths. What does this finding indicate?

A) Fine wheezes
B) Vesicular breath sounds
C) Fine crackles and may be a sign of pneumonia
D) Atelectatic crackles that do not have a pathologic cause

Atelectatic Crackles

Fine crackling sounds heard through a stethoscope, often indicating incomplete expansion or collapse of lung tissue (atelectasis).

Fine Crackles

A series of short, discontinuous sounds heard during lung auscultation, often indicative of fluid in the airways.

Pneumonia

An inflammatory condition of the lung tissue primarily caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, or other organisms, leading to difficulty breathing and cough.