Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

A 40-year-old female experiences colicky pain in the right upper quadrant, worsening with fried food. What is the name of the finding when pain is felt in the right lower quadrant after palpation of the left?

1. Rebound tenderness

2. Rovsing's sign

3. Murphy's sign

4. Psoas test

The correct answer is: Rovsing's sign

The name of the finding when pain is felt in the right lower quadrant after palpation of the left is known as Rovsing's sign. This sign is associated with appendicitis and occurs when pressure is applied to the left lower quadrant, which can cause referred pain to the right lower quadrant due to the shared nerve pathways in the abdominal cavity. This indicates irritation of the peritoneum and is significant when assessing for appendicitis in clinical practice. Rebound tenderness refers to pain that occurs when pressure applied during palpation is suddenly released, indicating peritoneal irritation, but it does not specifically relate to the pain referral from one side to the other. Murphy's sign is used to assess gallbladder involvement, typically indicating cholecystitis, which is relevant given the patient's symptoms of right upper quadrant pain. The Psoas test evaluates for irritation of the psoas muscle, which can indicate appendicitis as well, but it is more focused on different muscular findings rather than the referred pain noted in Rovsing's sign.