Stridor is the most concerning breath sound after extubation because it suggests tracheal/laryngeal edema and a narrowing airway. This could result in the inability to move air to the distal airways. Diffuse wheezing is also a concern, but less so than stridor. Stridor could indicate an immediately life-threatening event. Crackles suggest fluid in the lungs that could be caused by one of several important, but non-life-threatening, conditions (pneumonia, localized pulmonary edema, etc.). Diminished sounds in the lung bases is consistent with atelectasis and would be expected after extubation.