Wheezing in Asthma

Q: Presence of wheezing in exacerbation of asthma signifies its severity?

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Although wheezing is considered a cardinal feature in asthma exacerbation, its presence or absence is a very poor predictor of the severity of airflow obstruction. It can be heard even in mild forms of asthma. Similarly, widespread airway narrowing can be present without any wheezing. 

#pulmonary

References:

1. Gong H JR.. Wheezing and Asthma. In: Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, editors. Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition. Boston: Butterworths; 1990. Chapter 37. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK358/

2. Patel PH, Mirabile VS, Sharma S. Wheezing. 2023 May 1. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 29494061.

3. Chou EY, Pelz BJ, Chiu AM, Soung PJ. All that Wheezes is not Asthma or Bronchiolitis. Crit Care Clin. 2022 Apr;38(2):213-229. doi: 10.1016/j.ccc.2021.11.002. PMID: 35369944.