Kussmaul's sign is the observation of a jugular venous pressure (JVP, the filling of the jugular vein) that rises with inspiration. It can be seen in some forms of heart disease. It is usually indicative of right ventricular dysfunction along with hypotension and "dry lungs" (absence of pulmonary edema).

Contents 1 Background 2 Causes 3 History 4 References

[edit] Background

Ordinarily the JVP falls with inspiration due to reduced pressure in the expanding thoracic cavity. Kussmaul's sign suggests impaired filling of the right ventricle due to either fluid in the pericardial space or a poorly compliant myocardium or pericardium. This impaired filling causes the increased blood flow to back up into the venous system, causing the jugular distension.

[edit] Causes

Possible causes of Kussmaul's sign include:

• Constrictive pericarditis
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy
• Pericardial effusion or Cardiac tamponade (Although usually with tamponade, KS is negative^{[citation needed]}).
• Right ventricular infarction
• Right heart failure
• cardiac tumours
• Tricuspid stenosis

[edit] History

Kussmaul's sign is named after the German doctor who first described it, Adolph Kussmaul (1822-1902).^[1][2] He is also credited with describing Kussmaul breathing.

[edit] References

v • d • e Eponymous medical signs for circulatory system Heart disease Heart murmur Systolic heart murmur: benign paediatric heart murmur (Still's murmur) Diastolic heart murmur: pulmonic regurgitation (Graham Steell murmur) · aortic insufficiency (Austin Flint murmur) Aortic insufficiency Watson's water hammer pulse/Corrigan pulse · De Musset's sign · Duroziez's sign · Müller's sign · Quincke's sign · Austin Flint murmur · Mayne's sign Other endocardium endocarditis: Roth's spot · Janeway lesion/Osler's node · Bracht-Wachter bodies Pericardium cardiac tamponade/pericardial effusion: Beck's triad · Ewart's sign Other rheumatic fever: Anitschkow cell · Aschoff body EKG (Osborn wave) angina pectoris (Levine's sign) Vascular disease Arterial aortic aneurysm (Cardarelli's sign, Oliver's sign) · pulmonary embolism (McConnell's sign) · radial artery sufficiency (Allen's test) · pseudohypertension (Osler's sign) · thrombus (Lines of Zahn) Adson's sign · arteriovenous fistula (Nicoladoni sign) Venous Friedreich's sign · Caput medusae · Kussmaul's sign · DVT (Pratt's sign, Lisker's sign) · Trendelenburg's test · superior vena cava syndrome (Pemberton's sign) heart navs: anat/physio/dev, noncongen/congen/neoplasia, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc vascular navs: anat/physio/dev, noncongen/systemic vasculitis/congen/neoplasia, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc

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