When a doctor says he can hear crackles in the chest, what does that actually mean? Bronchitis? Pneumonia? Or what?

[emkana]

Does anybody know?

Indicates an infection IIRC, generally that is all.

I have had exactly that expression used of both my boys over the last couple of months while they have had chest infections/coughs. They were quite nasty infections, but both boys are OK now - it doesn't indicate any real crisis, just means there is some congestion (which you would usually know anyway if the child has a noisy cough or us coughing up stuff)

I'd say infection of some sort. Is he OK, emkana?

I've had that said when I had a bacterial chest infection, that needed a short course of ABs to sort it out.

Ds is having one infection after the other, always treated with AB's (which do help), and the doctor always says he can hear crackles, so I was wondering what that actually meant.

I think it's that kind of rattling noise when they breath in and out. It sounds like crackles down the stethescope.

when air travels into the lungs, if it has to pass through fluid it causes a crackling noise (like blowing bubbles through a straw, but much more high-pitched, because the airways are tiny.

It sounds a bit like the noise you hear if you rub your hair between your index finger and thumb.

The fluid can be from various things- infection is one, and probably the most likely in your ds's case.

DS2, who has viral-induced asthma, often has crackles in hi chest as well as wheeze, but has never had a secondary chest infection needing AB treatment. So it doesn't always mean a bacterial infection, sometimes just a viral infection, IYSWIM. DS1, who gets asthma occasionally, is very crackly with it.