What is Carvello’s Sign?

Carvello’s Sign of Tricuspid Insufficiency

Carvello’s Test is a medical sign used during auscultation of the heart in order to determine if a patient has a tricuspid or a mitral valve insufficiency.

In order to test Cavello’s sign a Doctor or Medical Practitioner should auscultate the sounds of the heart and ask the patient to breath in. During the inspiratory phase or respiration, a positive Cavello’s sign will increase the volume of a cardiac murmur as a result of the tricuspid insufficiency, if the sound remains the same or lessons, it usually indicates that the murmur is the result of a mitral valve insufficiency and not tricuspid.

This indicates a flow of leaking blood in a backwards direction from the right ventricle to the right atrium during the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle (this is when the left ventricle compresses in order to eject blood through the aortic arch).

What is the clinical significance of Carvello’s  Sign?

The clinical significance of Carvello’s sign is that it is a simple methodology for a clinician to discern between a tricuspid insufficiency and a mitral valve insufficiency.

Is Carvello’s sign rellevant to paramedicine? Typically, Carvello’s sign has little significance in the pre-hospital care setting; however, it is interesting to know, and may be useful if you are transporting a patient from cardiology or intensive care, because it may be seen in the patient’s notes.