10 Signs of Appendicitis
8. Psoas Sign
The psoas sign is used to diagnose acute appendicitis. It is not as specific as other signs are, therefore, it is called an accessory sign, meaning that it is not enough evidence on its own to diagnose or to rule-out appendicitis. That being said, it is still helpful when present to determine the location of the inflamed appendix.
There are two ways to assess the psoas, sign. In a first way, the patient should be lying down on its back. The examiner will ask the patient to raise their right leg. If positive, the patient will complain of abdominal pain in their right lower quadrant. The second way is assessed with the patient lying down on their left side. The examiner will gently pull the extended right leg of the patient back. If positive, this will cause abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant.
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