TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Wheezing in Infants and Children A1 - Freire, Gabrielle A1 - Shefrin, Allan Evan A1 - Zemek, Roger A2 - Tintinalli, Judith E. A2 - Ma, O. John A2 - Yealy, Donald M. A2 - Meckler, Garth D. A2 - Stapczynski, J. Stephan A2 - Cline, David M. A2 - Thomas, Stephen H. PY - 2020 T2 - Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 9e AB - Wheezing is a high-pitched sound that occurs when there is an elevation of airway resistance due to an obstructive process. The clinician must differentiate between stridor and wheeze because this determines location of the airway obstruction. Stridor is a sign of upper airway obstruction (above the thoracic inlet) that is more marked during inspiration, whereas wheeze signifies lower airway obstruction distal to the thoracic inlet that is more marked during expiration (see Chapter 126, “Stridor and Drooling in Infants and Children”).1-4 Wheezing implies a generalized obstructive airway disease when diffuse and focal obstruction when localized. However, severe flow limitation may exist without wheezing, for example, the silent chest in a severe asthma exacerbation. Bronchiolitis is the most frequent cause of wheezing in infants, and asthma is the most frequent cause in children and adolescents. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1166594104 ER -