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Erb's sign
System: Hormone & Metabolic Signs · All hormone & metabolic signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
Muscles and motor nerves respond to unusually weak electrical stimulation during electrodiagnostic testing, showing increased electrical excitability.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with low blood calcium (tetany), as in hypoparathyroidism.
◈ Behind the name
Wilhelm Heinrich Erb (1840–1921), German neurologist.
Related signs — Hormone & Metabolic Signs
Browse the E section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.