What respiratory sound is high-pitched and typically occurs during inspiration?

The correct answer, stridor, is a high-pitched sound that is typically heard during inspiration. It is specifically associated with narrowed or obstructed airways in the upper respiratory tract. This sound can be a crucial indicator of conditions such as croup or an obstruction in the airway, where the air struggles to pass through a constricted area, producing the characteristic high-pitched noise.

The other sounds listed have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from stridor. Rhonchi, for example, are lower-pitched sounds caused by the obstruction or secretions in the larger airways during both inspiration and expiration. Wheezing is a high-pitched sound as well, but it is primarily associated with expiration and is usually linked to smaller airways in conditions such as asthma. Crackles sound like brief bursts of popping or clicking, often related to fluid in the alveoli, and are typically heard during inspiration or expiration but do not have the specific high-pitched quality associated with stridor. Thus, understanding these sounds and their contexts is essential for assessing respiratory conditions accurately.