TCRN Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Prep for Your Test

The absence of tactile fremitus in the apical lung is indicative of a pneumothorax. Tactile fremitus is the vibration felt on the chest wall when a person speaks, and it is normally transmitted through lung tissue. When air enters the pleural space, as occurs in a pneumothorax, it disrupts the normal vibration transmission through the lung tissue. This leads to a reduction or complete absence of tactile fremitus in the affected area.

In contrast, conditions like pneumonia, hemothorax, and bronchitis typically present with increased fremitus due to the presence of fluid or solid material in the lungs or pleural space, which enhances sound conduction. Therefore, the absence of tactile fremitus specifically points towards the presence of air in the pleural cavity, characteristic of a pneumothorax.