10 Signs of Appendicitis
3. Abdominal Tenderness
Abdominal tenderness is described as the elicitation of pain upon abdominal palpation during a physical examination. During a physical examination, the examiner will slowly palpate the abdomen, applying pressure on different regions of the abdomen. This is a good maneuver for searching palpable masses and to assess if the patient refers pain upon palpation as well.
Patients with acute appendicitis will often refer pain upon palpation of the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, where the appendix is usually found. Even though many other conditions may cause right lower quadrant tenderness, it is still a helpful diagnostic tool.
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