Murphy's sign is true for which statement?

• A. It indicates pancreatitis
• B. It indicates appendicitis
• C. It is a test for kidney function
• D. It is indicative of gallbladder inflammation

Answer: (D)

Murphy's sign indicates gallbladder inflammation, typically acute cholecystitis. To test it, palpate under the right costal margin where the gallbladder sits and have the patient take a deep breath. If the inflamed gallbladder causes pain and the patient abruptly stops inhaling, the sign is positive. This finding points toward gallbladder pathology rather than other abdominal conditions. Pancreatitis often presents with epigastric pain and does not produce Murphy’s sign; appendicitis produces right lower quadrant pain with different tenderness patterns; tests of kidney function relate to renal issues, not this sign. In EMS assessment, a positive Murphy sign supports gallbladder inflammation as the cause of the abdominal pain.