What is tactile fremitus?

• A. The vibration felt on the chest wall during speech
• B. The sound heard with the stethoscope over the lung
• C. The movement of air through the trachea
• D. The expansion of the chest wall during inspiration

Answer: (A)

Tactile fremitus is the palpable vibration felt on the chest wall when the patient speaks. To test it, place your hand on the chest and have the patient say a voiced phrase like "ninety-nine." The vibrations travel through the airways and lung tissue and are felt through the chest wall. Heavier fremitus occurs over areas of consolidation because solid or fluid-filled lung conducts vibrations better, while lighter fremitus happens with air or fluid outside the lung tissue, such as in pneumothorax or pleural effusion. The other descriptions refer to different things: a sound heard with a stethoscope is auscultation, not tactile vibration; movement of air through the trachea is airflow; expansion of the chest wall is chest excursion.