PLEURAL FRICTION RUB

Course overview

A PLEURAL FRICTION RUB IS AN ADVENTITIOUS BREATH SOUND HEARD ON AUSCULTATION OF THE LUNGS. THE SOUND RESULTS FROM THE MOVEMENT OF INFLAMED AND ROUGHENED PLEURAL SURFACES AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. THE SOUND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS “GRATING,” “CREAKY,” OR SIMILAR TO “THE SOUND MADE BY WALKING ON FRESH SNOW." PLEURAL RUBS CAN BE CAUSED BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT ETIOLOGIES, WHICH INCLUDE ANY CONDITION THAT RESULTS IN PLEURAL EFFUSION, PLEURISY, OR SEROSITIS. PATIENTS MAY BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THE LOCALIZATION OF THE RUB BASED ON PAIN. A PLEURAL FRICTION RUB IS A MANIFESTATION OF PLEURAL DISEASE, THOUGH ITS ABSENCE DOES NOT EXCLUDE THIS PATHOLOGY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF PLEURAL FRICTION RUBS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.