Hamman's sign (Hammond's sign, Hammond's crunch)

Etiology

• mediastinal emphysema due to tracheobronchial injury from
  • trauma to the chest wall
  • asthma exacerbation
  • clinical procedures procedures
    • bronchoscopy
    • esophagoscopy (Boerhaave syndrome)

Pathology

• produced by the heart beating against air-filled tissues

Clinical manifestations

• crunching, rasping sound, synchronous with the heartbeat, heard on ausculation over the precordium
• heard best in the left lateral position

More general terms

• sign/symptom