Dictionary

Named signs

Signs and patterns named after the people who described them: Kussmaul, Homans, Chvostek and more.

Babinski signAn upward movement of the big toe, with the other toes fanning out, when the sole of the foot is stroked.

Barlow maneuverA newborn hip exam in which the examiner brings the bent hip inward and presses gently back to feel whether it slips out of its socket.

barrel chestA rounded chest shape in which the front-to-back depth is about as large as the side-to-side width.

Battle signBruising over the bone just behind the ear.

Beck triadThree findings together: low blood pressure, distended neck veins and muffled heart sounds.

Bell palsySudden weakness or loss of movement on one side of the face, from a problem with the facial nerve.

Biot respirationsA breathing pattern of groups of quick, shallow breaths of similar depth, separated by irregular pauses with no breathing.

Blumberg signAbdominal pain that is worse when pressure is suddenly released than when it is applied.

Braxton Hicks contractionsIrregular tightening of the uterus during pregnancy that does not open the cervix; sometimes called practice contractions.

Brudzinski signA test in which bending a client's neck forward makes the hips and knees bend on their own.

Brushfield spotsSmall white, gray or light-brown spots arranged in a ring near the outer edge of the iris.

bull's-eye rashA round red rash with a lighter center and a red outer ring, so it looks like a target.

butterfly rashA red rash across both cheeks and the bridge of the nose, shaped like a butterfly.