Hamman's sign (rarely, Hammond's sign
or Hammond's crunch
) is a crunching, rasping sound, synchronous with the heartbeat, heard over the
precordium
In anatomy, the precordium or praecordium is the portion of the body over the heart and lower chest.mediastinal emphysema
Pneumomediastinum (from Greek ''pneuma'' – "air", also known as mediastinal emphysema) is pneumatosis (abnormal presence of air or other gas) in the mediastinum, the central part of the chest cavity. First described in 1819 by René Laennec, ...
. It is felt to result from the heart beating against air-filled tissues.
It is named after
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for most ...
clinician
Louis Hamman
Louis Virgil Hamman (December 21, 1877 – April 28, 1946) was recognized as one of the great clinicians in his time.
Early life
Louis Virgil Hamman was born on December 21, 1877, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Agatha (née Haseneyer) and John A. Ha ...
, 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 rather than respiration.
Causes
Hamman's crunch is caused by
pneumomediastinum
Pneumomediastinum (from Greek ''pneuma'' – "air", also known as mediastinal emphysema) is pneumatosis (abnormal presence of air or other gas) in the mediastinum, the central part of the chest cavity. First described in 1819 by René Laennec, th ...
or
pneumopericardium
Pneumopericardium is a medical condition where air enters the pericardial cavity. This condition has been recognized in preterm neonates, in which it is associated with severe lung pathology, after vigorous resuscitation, or in the presence of assi ...
, and is associated with
tracheobronchial injury
Tracheobronchial injury is damage to the tracheobronchial tree (the airway structure involving the trachea and bronchi). It can result from blunt or penetrating trauma to the neck or chest, inhalation of harmful fumes or smoke, or aspiration of ...
[.
] due to trauma, medical procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy) or rupture of a proximal pulmonary bleb. It can be seen with
Boerhaave syndrome
Esophageal rupture is a rupture of the esophageal wall. Iatrogenic causes account for approximately 56% of esophageal perforations, usually due to medical instrumentation such as an endoscopy or paraesophageal surgery. In contrast, the term Boerh ...
.
See also
*
Hamman's syndrome
References
External links
Audio of auscultation of Hamman's Sign
Symptoms and signs: Respiratory system
{{med-sign-stub