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Kussmaul's sign
System: Heart & Circulation Signs · All heart & circulation signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
The jugular venous pressure in the neck paradoxically rises, instead of falling, when the patient breathes in.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with conditions that restrict filling of the right side of the heart, such as constrictive pericarditis and severe right heart failure.
◈ Behind the name
Adolf Kussmaul (1822–1902), German physician; he also lends his name to a pattern of breathing in acidosis.
Related signs — Heart & Circulation Signs
Browse the K 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.