Appendicitis physical examination
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farwa Haideri [2]
Overview
Patients with acute appendicitis usually appear in pain and distress. Physical examination of patients with appendicitis is usually remarkable for fever and mild tachycardia. Even minimal pressure on the abdomen can elicit a marked pain to patient.
Physical Examination
Vitals
- Fever
- Tachycardia
- Hypotension
- Tachypnea
- Breathing patterns may be altered by patient to compensate for abdominal pain.[1]
Skin
Abdomen
- The abdominal wall is very sensitive to mild palpation.
- Rebound tenderness
- Abdominal guarding
- Rovsing's sign
- Psoas sign
- Obturator sign[2]
- A digital rectal examination elicits tenderness in the rectovesical pouch in special cases of appendicitis.