water-hammer pulse

A pulse that hits the fingers hard and then collapses, most noticeable when the client's arm is raised. It goes with a wide pulse pressure and is a classic sign of aortic regurgitation, a leaky aortic valve; it can also occur with fever, anemia, pregnancy and an overactive thyroid. The name comes from a Victorian toy, a sealed glass tube of water that thumps when turned over. It is also called Corrigan pulse, after Dominic Corrigan, an Irish physician.