The crackling sound under the skin due to air is called:

The crackling sound under the skin due to air is called:

• A. Crepitus
• B. Edema
• C. Contusion
• D. Subcutaneous Emphysema

Answer: (D)

Air trapped in the layers beneath the skin causes a crackling sensation when you feel or press on it. This condition is called subcutaneous emphysema, and it often follows chest trauma or lung injury. The crackling you notice is a sign of air in the subcutaneous tissues (crepitus is the sensation itself), but the correct label for the presence of that air under the skin is subcutaneous emphysema. Edema is swelling from fluid, and a contusion is a bruise, neither of which explains the crackling from air.

Air trapped in the layers beneath the skin causes a crackling sensation when you feel or press on it. This condition is called subcutaneous emphysema, and it often follows chest trauma or lung injury. The crackling you notice is a sign of air in the subcutaneous tissues (crepitus is the sensation itself), but the correct label for the presence of that air under the skin is subcutaneous emphysema. Edema is swelling from fluid, and a contusion is a bruise, neither of which explains the crackling from air.