What is typically absent in the breath sounds of someone with significant respiratory distress?

In cases of significant respiratory distress, the absence of clear breath sounds is a common finding. Clear breath sounds indicate normal airway patency and effective airflow through the bronchi and alveoli. However, in significant respiratory distress, various factors can impede normal auscultation. These may include bronchoconstriction, excessive mucus production, or alveolar collapse, leading to diminished or absent breath sounds in affected areas of the lungs.

Wheezing, on the other hand, is often present in conditions such as asthma or bronchospasm, indicating turbulent airflow through narrowed airways. Normal lung sounds should ideally be present in individuals without respiratory distress; however, the question specifically addresses significant respiratory distress where normal sounds are disrupted. Stridor is characterized by a high-pitched sound typically associated with upper airway obstruction, which can also be present but is more specific to certain conditions, such as croup or foreign body aspiration. Therefore, in the context of significant respiratory distress, the key feature is the lack of clear breath sounds, reflecting more profound dysfunction within the respiratory system.