For your information... Chvostek's and Trousseau's Sign

This question was taken from the Sheffield Feb 2014 exam.

Both Chvostek's and Trousseau's sign are clinical signs elicited in patient's who have Hypocalcaemia

Chvostek's Sign
There are 2 variations to this sign but the most common practiced variation is where the practitioner uses either a finger or a hammer to tap at the angle of the jaw. In a patient with hypocalcaemia, this results in ipsilateral contraction of some or all of the muscles innervated by the facial nerve.

The technique described above involves using a finger to tap on Point A

Trousseau's sign

A blood pressure cuff is inflated to above systolic blood pressure and sustained for 3 mins. The subsequent lack of blood flow will induce spams of the muscles of the hands and forearms.

• Flex
• Wrist and Metocarpophalangeal joints
• Extend
• Distal and Proximal Interphalangeal joints
• Adduct
• Fingers