Fiz J.A., Gnitecki J, Kraman S.S., Wodicka G.R., Pasterkamp H.
Postural effects on normal lung sounds have been studied in less detail but need to be clarified if respiratory acoustic measurements are to be used effectively in clinical practice. Lung sounds and airflow were recorded in six healthy male subjects in sitting, supine, prone, and lateral decubitus positions. Lung sound intensity (LSI) was determined at various flows (0.4 to 0.6 L/s and 0.8 to 1.2 L/s). LSI was greater over the dependent lungs in the lateral decubitus positions. In the sitting position, LSI was greater on the left compared with the right posterior lung at the same airflow within the same frequency bands. Compared with sitting, neither the supine nor prone positions caused a significant change in LSI.
Clinical relevance: In the healthy adult auscultation in supine, prone or sitting produced sounds of equal/ comparable intensity. The effect of respiratory disease has not been studied
Chest 2008; 133: 729 – 736