Hamman's sign
Hamman's Sign
Hamman's sign (pronounced: /ˈhæmənz saɪn/), also known as Hamman's crunch, is a clinical sign in medicine. It is named after the American physician, John Hamman, who first described it in 1937.
Etymology
The term "Hamman's sign" is derived from the name of its discoverer, Dr. John Hamman, an American physician. The word "sign" in this context is used to denote a clinical indication or symptom of a particular medical condition.
Definition
Hamman's sign is a specific type of auscultation finding characterized by a crunching or crackling sound, synchronous with the heartbeat, heard over the precordium in spontaneous pneumomediastinum or pneumothorax. It is often associated with subcutaneous emphysema and can be heard best when the patient is in the left lateral decubitus position.
Clinical Significance
Hamman's sign is a valuable diagnostic tool in the identification of pneumomediastinum, a condition where air is present in the mediastinum. This sign is particularly useful in cases where a chest X-ray is not immediately available. It is also used to detect the presence of pneumothorax, a condition characterized by the accumulation of air or gas in the cavity between the lungs and the chest wall.
Related Terms
- Auscultation: The act of listening to sounds from the heart, lungs, or other organs, typically with a stethoscope, as a part of medical diagnosis.
- Pneumomediastinum: The presence of air or other gas in the mediastinum.
- Pneumothorax: A condition in which air or gas is present in the cavity between the lungs and the chest wall, causing the lung to collapse.
- Subcutaneous emphysema: A condition where air gets into tissues under the skin.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Hamman's sign
- Wikipedia's article - Hamman's sign
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