What complication could cause rales or rhonchi in a patient?

Circulatory overload can lead to rales or rhonchi in a patient due to fluid accumulation in the lungs. When the heart is unable to handle the volume of blood or fluids, it can result in increased pressure in the pulmonary capillaries, leading to pulmonary congestion or edema. This accumulation of fluid creates abnormal lung sounds when air moves through the pulmonary secretions or fluid in the small airways. Rales, often described as a crackling sound, indicate fluid in the alveoli, while rhonchi are low-pitched sounds caused by air passing through obstructed airways.

In contrast, phlebitis, air embolism, and infections may cause different clinical presentations. Phlebitis typically manifests at the site of inflammation in veins and may not directly affect lung sounds. An air embolism usually leads to respiratory distress or hypoxia without necessarily producing rales or rhonchi, as it primarily causes vascular obstruction rather than fluid-related sounds in the lungs. Infections, while they can cause a range of respiratory symptoms and sounds, may not be the direct cause of the specific rales or rhonchi linked to circulatory overload. Thus, circulatory overload is the complication most directly associated with the presence of these