Physical Signs

Levines Sign

A clenched fist held over the chest to describe chest pain. As the referred associated with ischemia radiates to the area of the left proximal forelimb, the right, unaffected arm is used to produce the gesture

Coons Eyes

Bruising around the eyes that indicates basilar skull fracture

Grey-Turners sign

Bruising of the skin of the loin in acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis

Battles sign

Bruising over the mastoid bone behind the ear commonly seen following a basilar skull fracture; also called retroauricular ecchymosis

Kehr's sign

The occurrence of acute pain on the tip of the shoulder due to the presence of blood and other irritants in the peritoneal cavity when a person is lying down with their legs elevated. Kehr's sign in the left shoulder is considered a classical sign of ruptured spleen. May result from diaphragmatic or peridiaphragmatic lesions, renal calculi, splenic injury or ruptured ectopic pregnancy

Cullen's sign

a bluish periumbilical discoloration. It has a variety of causes including but not necessarily limited to: ectopic pregnancy rupture, acute pancreatitis, ruptured AAA, blunt abdominal trauma

Psoas Sign

a medical sign that indicates irritation to the iliopsoas group of hip flexors in the abdomen, and consequently indicates that the inflamed appendix is retrocaecal in orientation (as the iliopsoas muscle is retroperitoneal). It is elicited by performing the psoas test by passively extending the thigh of a patient lying on his side with knees extended, or asking the patient to actively flex his thigh at the hip.[1] If abdominal pain results, it is a "positive psoas sign". The pain results because the psoas borders the peritoneal cavity, so stretching (by hyperextension at the hip) or contraction (by flexion of the hip) of the muscles causes friction against nearby inflamed tissues. In particular, the right iliopsoas muscle lies under the appendix when the patient is supine, so a positive psoas sign on the right may suggest appendicitis. A positive psoas sign may also be present in a patient with a psoas abscess.

Waddells Triad

a pedestrian pattern of injury seen in pediatrics who are struck by motor vehicles. The triad includes a fractured femoral shaft, intra thoracic or intra abdominal injuries, and a contralateral head injury

Becks Triad

A collection of medical signs associated with acute cardiac tamponade. The triad consists of decreased arterial blood pressure, jugular vein distention, and distant muffle heart sounds

Universal Sign

A common signs that transcends language barriers. Such as the universal sign for choking, a clenched fist over the heart for a heart attack or grabbing the flanks indicating kidney stones

Murphy's sign

A test for gallbladder disease, in which the pt is asked to inhale while the examiner's fingers are hooked the liver border at the bottom of the ribcage. The inspiration causes the gallbladder to descend onto the fingers, producing pain if the gall bladder is inflamed. Deep inspiration can be very limited.