What sound is typically associated with airway obstruction?

The sound most typically associated with airway obstruction is stridor. Stridor is a high-pitched, wheezing sound that occurs due to turbulent airflow in a narrowed airway, often indicating partial obstruction in the upper airway. This can happen due to various conditions, such as croup in children, airway edema, anaphylaxis, or foreign body obstruction.

Other abnormal breath sounds, such as rhonchi, crackles, and wheezing, can indicate different issues within the respiratory system. Rhonchi are typically associated with airway secretions and can occur in conditions like bronchitis. Crackles are indicative of conditions involving fluid in the lungs or alveoli, such as pulmonary edema or pneumonia. Wheezing represents a high-pitched sound produced by narrowed airways, commonly seen in asthma or bronchospasm, but is not necessarily indicative of a complete airway obstruction.

Recognizing stridor as the sound linked to airway obstruction is critical for rapid diagnosis and intervention in a medical emergency, making it essential to differentiate it from other respiratory sounds associated with different pathologies.