Appendicitis physical examination

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farwa Haideri [2]

Patients with acute appendicitis usually appear in pain and distress. Physical examination of patients with appendicitis is usually remarkable for fever and mild tachycardia. Even minimal pressure on the abdomen can elicit a marked pain to patient.

• Fever
• Tachycardia
• Hypotension
• Tachypnea^[1]

• Diaphoresis
• Pallor

• The abdominal wall is very sensitive to mild palpation.
• Rebound tenderness
• Abdominal guarding
• Rovsing’s sign
• Psoas sign
• Obturator sign^[2]
• A digital rectal examination elicits tenderness in the rectovesical pouch in special cases of appendicitis.

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