Use of coughing test to diagnose peritonitis

Abstract

The test for rebound tenderness is advocated for diagnosing general or localised irritation of the peritoneum, but the diagnostic accuracy and patients' acceptance of the test have been questioned.1,2 Other methods for identifying peritonitis include asking patients to cough and percussion of the abdomen. We routinely ask patients to cough and have evaluated this coughing test for diagnosing peritonitis. One hundred and fifty consecutive patients (70 male, 80 female; range 4-95 years, median 46) who were admitted for emergency treatment with abdominal pain were examined in a prospective study. The patients were asked to cough, and …