In cases of pleural effusion, what is the expected fremitus or transmitted voice sounds?

In cases of pleural effusion, decreased fremitus or transmitted voice sounds is expected due to the presence of fluid in the pleural space. This fluid dampens the transmission of sound vibrations from the lung tissue to the chest wall. When a healthcare provider performs tactile fremitus assessment by asking the patient to repeat a phrase, the vibrations generated in the lungs are not effectively transferred through the fluid, resulting in a notable reduction in the palpable vibrations felt on the chest wall. Therefore, the characteristic finding of decreased fremitus is directly associated with the accumulation of fluid that impedes normal sound conduction, aligning with the pathophysiology of pleural effusion, which involves impairment of lung expansion and sound transmission.