What is the typical sound associated with pulmonary edema?

The sound typically associated with pulmonary edema is crackles, also known as rales. This is due to the alveoli filling with fluid, which creates a bubbling or crackling noise when air passes through. These crackling sounds can be heard during auscultation of the lungs and are indicative of fluid accumulation, often resulting from heart failure or other conditions leading to ineffective fluid removal from the lungs. The presence of crackles suggests that there is a significant amount of fluid present in the airspaces, which disrupts normal airflow and indicates that immediate medical assessment and intervention may be necessary.