Overview
Tactile fremitus is an assessment of the low-frequency vibration of a patient's chest, which is used as an indirect measure of the amount of air and density of tissue present within the lungs.
How to Assess
- Palpate the patient's posterior chest and ask them to say ' blue balloons'. Start at the top of the chest and move to the bottom, comparing both sides.
Increased Tactile Fremitus
Increased vocal sounds on palpation of the chest.
Significance
- Occurs due to increased density within the lung parenchyma.
Causes of Increased Tactile Fremitus
- Pneumonia
- Atelectasis
- Lung cancer
Decreased Tactile Fremitus
Reduced vocal sounds on palpation of the chest.
Significance
- Occurs due to reduced density within the lung parenchyma.
Causes of Decreased Tactile Fremitus
- Pneumothorax
- Empysema
- Haemothorax
- Pleural effusion
- Obesity
Overview
Tactile fremitus was first described by a German physician who called for the patient to say "neunundneunzig" (ninety-nine). "Blue Balloons" is an English phrase that closely resembles the sound and vibration emitted from the lungs when saying "neunundneunzig" (a low frequency 'diphthong' phrase).
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