Clinical sign

A Clinical sign (pronounced: klin-i-kal sign) is an objective indication of a medical fact or characteristic that may be detected by a physician during a physical examination of a patient.

Etymology

The term 'Clinical sign' is derived from the Greek word 'klinikos', which means 'bed', referring to the observation of patients in bed, and the Latin word 'signum', meaning 'mark' or 'token'.

Definition

In medicine, a clinical sign is the definitive indication of the existence of a disease or disorder, as perceived by the examining physician, and is distinguished from a symptom, which is a subjective indication of disease reported by the patient.

Types of Clinical Signs

There are various types of clinical signs that a physician may observe, including but not limited to:

Vital signs: These are measurements of the body's basic functions and include temperature, pulse, respiration rate, and blood pressure.
Physical signs: These are observed during the physical examination of the patient and may include abnormal heart or lung sounds, fever, or the presence of swelling.
Laboratory signs: These are identified through laboratory tests and may include an elevated white blood cell count, anemia, or the presence of a bacteria or virus in the patient's blood.

Related Terms

Symptom: A symptom is a subjective indication of disease reported by the patient.
Diagnosis: Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon.
Prognosis: Prognosis is the likely course of a disease or ailment.
Pathognomonic sign: A pathognomonic sign is a particular sign whose presence means that a particular disease is present beyond any doubt.