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Hamman's sign
System: Chest & Breathing Signs · All chest & breathing signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
A crunchy, crackling sound heard in time with the heartbeat, best at the left sternal edge, sometimes with palpable air under the skin of the neck.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with air in the mediastinum (pneumomediastinum), for example after severe vomiting or an asthma attack.
◈ Behind the name
Louis Virgil Hamman (1877–1946), American physician.
Related signs — Chest & Breathing Signs
Browse the H 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.