Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general/physical-examination

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Tourniquet test

Test for fragility of blood vessels

Summary

Test for fragility of blood vessels

FieldValue
nameTourniquet test
imageImage:Positive-tourniquet-test.gif
captionA positive tourniquet test on the right side of a patient with dengue fever. Note the increased number of petechia.
DiseasesDB
ICD10
MedlinePlus
eMedicine
OPS301
LOINC

A tourniquet test (also known as a Hess test, Rumpel-Leede test, Rumpel-Leede capillary-fragility test or simply a capillary fragility test) determines capillary fragility. It is a clinical diagnostic method to determine a patient's haemorrhagic tendency. It assesses fragility of capillary walls and is used to identify thrombocytopenia (a reduced platelet count) and is associated with low vitamin C or scurvy.

A blood pressure cuff is applied and inflated to the midpoint between the systolic and diastolic blood pressures for five minutes. The test is positive if there are more than 10 to 20 petechiae per square inch. Normally less than 15 petechiae are seen in a 5 cm diameter circle of the area under pressure.

The test was once part of the World Health Organization (WHO) algorithm for diagnosis of dengue fever, however it is no longer used in the latest WHO guidance. Studies have shown that the tourniquet test has low predictive value for dengue fever and should be used in conjunction with other tests for a reliable diagnosis.

More broadly, a positive response occurs due to poor platelet function, bleeding diathesis or thrombocytopenia, and can be seen in cases of scurvy, and dengue fever.

Etymology

The Hess test is named after Alfred Fabian Hess.

References

References

  1. [https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Hess%27s+test Rumpel-Leede-Hess test, Gothlin's test] at [[TheFreeDictionary.com]]
  2. "Tourniquet test".
  3. Halstead, Scott B.. (2008). "Dengue". Imperial College Press.
  4. [https://www.anaesthetist.com/icu/organs/blood/test.htm Hess test] at anaesthetist.com
  5. WHO. (2009). "Dengue: Guidelines for Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Control". World Health Organization.
  6. (September 2022). "Dengue Outbreak Toolbox".
  7. (2016-08-03). "Tourniquet Test for Dengue Diagnosis: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy". PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
  8. (2002). "Evaluation of the World Health Organization standard tourniquet test and a modified tourniquet test in the diagnosis of dengue infection in Viet Nam". Trop Med Int Health.
  9. Mayxay. (2011). "Predictive diagnostic value of the tourniquet test for the diagnosis of dengue infection in adults.". Trop Med Int Health.
  10. (2006). "Repeated tourniquet testing as a diagnostic tool in dengue infection.". Med J Malaysia.
  11. Eddy TP. (May 1972). "A study of the relationship between Hess tests and leucocyte ascorbic acid in a clinical trial". Br. J. Nutr..
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

physical-examination
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Tourniquet test — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report