What is Dunphy’s Sign?

Dunphy’s Sign is a medical sign that relates to a person who has right sided abdominal pain and assocated coughing, which is usually indicative of appendicitis.

So, what does Dunphy’s sign entail?

Dunphy’s sign requires the following signs to be present:

1. Increased right side abdominal pain; and

2. Associated coughing

What does Dunphy’s sign actually indicate?

Dunphy’s sign indicates the potential for an enlarged or inflamed appendix. It is not a definitive diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis; however it does suggest appendicitis and certainly warrants further test to confirm or rule out appendicitis.

Is Dunphy’s sign relevant to paramedics?

It is important as a paramedic to be able to recognise when or if your patient is suffering with acute appendicitis, because this is a life threatening emergency that needs urgent surgical interventions. Dunphy’s sign is just one tool that can be used as a paramedic to indicate a high likelihood of a patient suffering with appendicitis.