Hamman's sign
Encyclopedia
Hamman's sign is a crunching, rasping sound, synchronous with the heartbeat, heard over the precordium in spontaneous mediastinal emphysema produced by the heart beating against air-filled tissues.
It is named for Johns Hopkins
clinician Louis Hamman
, M.D.
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.
or pneumopericardium
, and is associated with tracheobronchial injury
due to trauma, medical procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy) or proximal pulmonary bleb rupture. It is commonly seen in Boerhaave syndrome
.
It is named for Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
clinician Louis Hamman
Louis Hamman
Louis Virgil Hamman, M.D. was recognized as one of the great clinicians in his time.He was graduated M.D...
, M.D.
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
Cardiac cycle
The cardiac cycle is a term referring to all or any of the events related to the flow or blood pressure that occurs from the beginning of one heartbeat to the beginning of the next. The frequency of the cardiac cycle is described by the heart rate. Each beat of the heart involves five major stages...
and not the respirations.
Causes
Hamman's crunch is caused by pneumomediastinumPneumomediastinum
Pneumomediastinum is a condition in which air is present in the mediastinum...
or pneumopericardium
Pneumopericardium
Pneumopericardium is a medical condition where air enters the pericardial cavity.It can be congenital, or introduced by a wound.-External links:* http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/thoracicsurgeryvolII/chapter2figure19.jpg...
, and is associated with tracheobronchial injury
Tracheobronchial injury
Tracheobronchial injury is damage to the tracheobronchial tree . It can result from blunt or penetrating trauma to the neck or chest, inhalation of harmful fumes or smoke, or aspiration of liquids or objects.Though rare, TBI is a serious condition; it may cause obstruction of the airway with...
due to trauma, medical procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy) or proximal pulmonary bleb rupture. It is commonly seen in Boerhaave syndrome
Boerhaave syndrome
Esophageal rupture is rupture of the esophageal wall due to vomiting. 56% of esophageal perforations are iatrogenic, usually due to medical instrumentation such as an endoscopy or paraesophageal surgery...
.