Murphy's triad is a collection of three

signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showi ...

associated with acute

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a r ...

, a

medical emergency A medical emergency is an acute injury or illness that poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long-term health, sometimes referred to as a situation risking "life or limb". These emergencies may require assistance from another, qualified ...

which presents with lower right abdominal pain (Right Lower Quadrant; RLQ), along with nausea, vomiting, and fever.

Components of Murphy's triad

*Pain *Vomiting *Fever (Mnemonic PVT Murphy: Pain, Vomiting, Temperature)

History

Murphy's triad was named after John Benjamin Murphy, an American physician and abdominal surgeons and one of the earliest advocates for the intervention of the removal of the appendix in all cases of appendicitis. According to the

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origin ...

, Murphy's triad consists of "pain in the abdomen followed by nausea or vomiting, and general abdominal sensitiveness on the right side, followed by an elevated body temperature." Although the original notes on Murphy's triad includes four signs (the fourth being a rise in temperature), it may be noted that "it is evident that it is not a constant feature throughout an attack and

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the elevation of temperature may be absent at certain stages and in certain circumstances."

References

{{reflist Medical signs