Certified Respiratory Therapist Practice Exam

What clinical sign is indicative of air trapping in the lungs?

1. Hypercapnia

2. Hypoxemia

3. Wheezing

4. Diminished breath sounds

The correct answer is: Wheezing

Wheezing is a clinical sign indicative of air trapping in the lungs due to the narrowing of the airways, which can occur in conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). When air is trapped within the lungs, it can lead to turbulent airflow, especially during expiration. This turbulent airflow causes the characteristic high-pitched whistling sound known as wheezing. Understanding why wheezing occurs in the context of air trapping highlights the relationship between airway obstruction and the resultant sounds that respiratory therapists listen for during assessments. In contrast, while hypercapnia and hypoxemia are important physiological changes that can result from air trapping, they are not direct clinical signs like wheezing. Diminished breath sounds can indicate a variety of pulmonary conditions but do not specifically signify air trapping in the same way that wheezing does.