Fremitus Health Dictionary

Tremors or vibrations in an area of the body, detected by palpating (feeling) with the ?ngers or the hand or by auscultation (listening). The procedure is most commonly used when examining the chest and assessing what happens when the patient breathes, coughs or speaks. This helps the doctor to diagnose whether disorders such as ?uid in the pleural cavity or solidi?cation of a section of the lung have occurred.

Friction fremitus is a grating feeling communicated to the hand by the movements of lungs or heart when the membrane covering them is roughened, as in PLEURISY or PERICARDITIS. Vocal fremitus means the sensation felt by the hand when a person speaks; it is increased when the lung is more solid than usual. The ‘thrills’ felt over a heart affected by valvular disease are also varieties of fremitus.

n. vibrations or tremors in a part of the body, detected by feeling with the fingers or hand (*palpation) or by listening (*auscultation). The term is most commonly applied to vibrations perceived through the chest when a patient breathes, speaks (vocal fremitus), or coughs. The nature of the fremitus gives an indication as to whether the chest is affected by disease. For example, loss of vocal fremitus suggests the presence of fluid in the pleural cavity; its increase suggests consolidation of the underlying lung.