Dullness to percussion indicates what?

Dullness to percussion indicates what?

• A. Hyperinflation
• B. Areas of fluid in the lung, such as pleural effusion
• C. Air-filled cavity
• D. Normal lung tissue

Answer: (B)

Dullness to percussion means there’s increased density beneath the area being tapped. In the chest, air-filled lung tissue sounds hollow and resonant, but when fluid collects in the pleural space or there is dense solid tissue like consolidated pneumonia, the sound becomes dull. Pleural effusion is a classic cause—fluid dampens the tapping sound over the affected region. By contrast, hyperinflated lungs (as in emphysema) are more resonant or even hyperresonant, and an air-filled cavity tends to produce a tympanic or hyperresonant note rather than dull. Normal lung tissue remains resonant.

Dullness to percussion means there’s increased density beneath the area being tapped. In the chest, air-filled lung tissue sounds hollow and resonant, but when fluid collects in the pleural space or there is dense solid tissue like consolidated pneumonia, the sound becomes dull. Pleural effusion is a classic cause—fluid dampens the tapping sound over the affected region. By contrast, hyperinflated lungs (as in emphysema) are more resonant or even hyperresonant, and an air-filled cavity tends to produce a tympanic or hyperresonant note rather than dull. Normal lung tissue remains resonant.