What sound might a nurse expect to hear during percussion of a client diagnosed with emphysema?

When percussing a client diagnosed with emphysema, the nurse is likely to hear hyperresonance. This sound is characterized by an unusually low-pitched and loud tone, indicating an increase in air within the lung spaces. In emphysema, the alveoli are damaged, leading to an abnormal enlargement of the air spaces. This results in over-inflation of the lungs, which contributes to the hyperresonant sound during percussion.

In contrast, flatness would suggest the presence of solid material or fluid in a body cavity, dullness would indicate denser tissue or fluid, and resonance is the normal sound expected in healthy lungs but is not abnormal enough to reflect the pathological changes seen in emphysema. The presence of hyperresonance, therefore, is a hallmark of the increased air trapped in the lungs due to this condition, making it the correct and expected sound during percussion in these patients.