Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Hamman's sign
Introduction
Hamman’s sign (rarely, Hammond’s sign[2] or Hammond’s crunch[3]) is a crunching, rasping sound, synchronous with the heartbeat, heard over the precordium in spontaneous mediastinal emphysema.
Examination Findings
Examination Findings
This sound is heard best over the left lateral position. It has been described as a series of precordial crackles that correlate with the heart beat and not the respirations. Hamman’s crunch is caused by pneumomediastinum or pneumopericardium, and is occasionally associated with tracheobronchial injury[1] and often associated with Boerhaave syndrome (oesophagal rupture).
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]