fremitus

A vibration imparted to the hand resting on the chest or other part of the body. SEE ALSO: thrill. [L. a dull roaring sound, fr. fremo, pp. -itus, to roar, resound]

- bronchial f. adventitious pulmonary sounds or voice sounds perceptible to the hand resting on the chest, as well as by the ear.

- hydatid f. SYN: hydatid thrill.

- pericardial f. vibration in the chest wall produced by the friction of opposing roughened surfaces of the pericardium. SEE ALSO: pericardial rub.

- pleural f. vibration in the chest wall produced by a friction rub resulting from the rubbing together of the roughened inflamed opposing surfaces of the pleura.

- rhonchal f. f. produced by vibrations from the passage of air in the bronchial tubes partially obstructed by mucous secretion.

- subjective f. vibration felt within the chest by the patient himself, when humming with the mouth closed; or f. felt when there is a rough, pericardial or pleural friction rub, particularly when pain is minimal.

- tactile f. vibration felt with the hand on the chest during vocal f..

- tussive f. a form of f. similar to the vocal, produced by a cough.

- vocal f. the vibration in the chest wall, felt on palpation, produced by the spoken voice.

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frem·i·tus 'frem-ət-əs n a sensation felt by a hand placed on a part of the body (as the chest) that vibrates during speech

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n.

vibrations or tremors in a part of the body, detected by feeling with the fingers or hand (palpation) or by listening (auscultation). The term is most commonly applied to vibrations perceived through the chest when a patient breathes, speaks (vocal fremitus), or coughs. The nature of the fremitus gives an indication as to whether the chest is affected by disease. For example, loss of vocal fremitus suggests the presence of fluid in the pleural cavity; its increase suggests consolidation of the underlying lung.

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frem·i·tus (fremґĭ-təs) [L.] a vibration perceptible on palpation; cf. thrill.