abnormal respiratory sounds crackles 2020-06-22T11:17:02Z crepitations MP:0031104 MPheno.ontology fine, short, high-pitched, intermittently crackling sounds heard in a lung field that has fluid in the small airways; crackles are commonly heard in the bases of the lung lobes during inspiration; the cause of crackles can be from air passing through fluid, pus or mucus; crackles can be further categorised as coarse or fine: the sound quality of fine crackles is similar to the sound of hair rubbed between your fingers near the ear and may be heard in congestive heart failure and pulmonary fibrosis; coarse crackles are lower-pitched and moist-sounding, like pouring water out of a bottle or ripping open velcro, and are often a sign of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), early congestive heart failure, asthma and pulmonary edema rales alveolar rales