Fremitus

Under a fremitus or fremitus ( from the Latin for showerheads, noise or muffled roar ) refers to the slight vibration that can be felt in different situations when speaking by the applied to the thorax of the patient's hand ( fremitus ). To this end, the patient says in the study words with low vowels in a deep voice ( " Ninety-nine " ), while the doctor puts his hands on the chest or back of the patient.

It is based on the principle that low frequencies by air-containing alveoli ( air sacs ) filtered off, be propagated in pathological infiltrations ( eg, tissue compaction caused by water retention in eg pneumonia ), however, increased.

A reinforced fremitus occurs in compressed lung tissue (infiltration), such as pneumonia. Weakened the fremitus is at a atelectasis or pleural thickening. Greatly attenuated or abolished he is with a pleural effusion or pneumothorax.