Search

Background: This paper describes medical eponyms associated with abdominal palpation from the period 1926-1976. Despite opposition by some, eponyms are a long standing tradition and widely used in medicine. The techniques may still be useful in some cases, assisting in the selection of an appropriate and cost-effective approach to patient care. In this piece, we cover signs named in honor of physicians who contributed to medicine by developing new palpatory techniques in an attempt to better diagnose disease of the abdominal wall, umbilicus, gallbladder, pancreas, and appendix., Data Sources: PubMed, Medline, online Internet word searches, textbooks, and references from other source texts. PubMed was searched using the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) of the name of the eponyms and text words associated with the sign., Conclusion: We describe brief historical background information about the physician who reported the sign, original description of the sign, and its clinical application and implication into today's medical practice., (© 2019 Marshfield Clinic.)

Background: An eponym in clinical medicine is an honorific term ascribed to a person(s) who may have initially discovered or described a device, procedure, anatomical part, treatment, disease, symptom, syndrome, or sign found on physical examination. Signs, although often lacking sufficient sensitivity and specificity, assist in some cases to differentiate and diagnose disease. With the advent of advanced technological tools in radiological imaging and diagnostic testing, the importance of inspection, the initial steps taught during the physical examination, is often overlooked or given only cursory attention. Nevertheless, in the era of evidence-based and cost-effective medicine, it becomes compelling, and we contend that a meticulously performed history and physical examination, applying the basic tenets of inspection, remains paramount prior to obtaining appropriate diagnostic tests., Data Sources: PubMed, Medline, online Internet word searches and bibliographies from source text and textbooks. PubMed was searched using the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) of the name of the eponyms and text words associated with the sign., Conclusions: We describe the historical aspect, clinical application, and performance of medical eponymous signs of inspection found on physical examination during the 18th to 20th centuries., (© 2019 Marshfield Clinic.)

Ecchymosis is a large area of discoloration caused by extravasation of blood into the subcutaneous tissue. It is an objective physical finding that may provide valuable clues as to its possible etiology. Ecchymosis is associated with eponyms based on the physician who first described the physical findings, which can be divided into 4 anatomical categories: base of the skull, abdominal wall and retroperitoneum, groin and scrotum, and lower extremity. Classic external signs and eponyms associated with ecchymosis are reviewed. Knowledge of these signs on physical examination may prove to be a useful clue directing the examiner to consider potentially serious causes of disease.

The term “vital sign” has been assigned to various phenomena with the presumptive intent to emphasize their importance in health care resulting in the emergence of eight vital signs with multiple designations and overlapping terms. This review developed a case definition for vital signs and identified and described the fifth through eighth vital signs. PubMed/Medline, Google and biographical databases were searched using the individual Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms, vital sign and fifth, vital sign and sixth, vital sign and seventh, and vital sign eighth. The search was limited to human clinical studies written in English literature from 1957 up until November 30, 2021. Excluded were articles containing the term vital sign if used alone without the qualifier fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth or about temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate. One hundred ninety-six articles (122 for the fifth vital sign, 71 for the sixth vital sign, two for the seventh vital sign, and one for the eighth vital sign) constituted the final dataset. The vital signs consisted of 35 terms, classified into 17 categories compromising 186 unique papers for each primary authored article with redundant numbered vital signs for glucose, weight, body mass index, and medication compliance. Eleven terms have been named the fifth vital sign, 25 the sixth vital sign, three the seventh, and one as the eighth vital sign. There are four time-honored vital signs based on the case definition, and they represent an objective bedside measurement obtained noninvasively that is essential for life. Based on this case definition, pulse oximetry qualifies as the fifth while end-tidal CO2 and cardiac output as the sixth. Thus, these terms have been misappropriated 31 times. Although important to emphasize in patient care, the remainder are not vital signs and should not be construed in this manner.