Which sign is positive in suspected appendicitis due to irritation of the iliopsoas muscle?

Prepare for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Test. Study with interactive quizzes and detailed explanations. Boost your exam readiness with our diverse question formats and in-depth content coverage.

Iliopsoas irritation from an inflamed appendix, especially when it lies retrocecal, shows up as the psoas sign. The test stretches or activates the iliopsoas muscle by extending the right hip (or having the patient flex the hip against resistance). If this maneuver reproduces pain in the right lower quadrant, the psoas sign is considered positive, suggesting the appendix is irritating the iliopsoas. This differs from Murphy’s sign, which tests for gallbladder inflammation, Rovsing’s sign, which is rebound pain in the RLQ with LLQ palpation, and the obturator sign, which elicits pain with internal rotation of a flexed hip due to pelvic- or obturator-nerve irritation. So, the sign associated with iliopsoas irritation is the psoas sign.