Twitching of facial muscles when the facial nerve is tapped anterior to the earlobe is called?

JODHPUR AIIMS SNO-2018

Medical Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: JODHPUR AIIMS SNO-2018

Explanation

Chvostek's sign is the specific medical term for the twitching of facial muscles that occurs when the facial nerve is tapped.
This response is a classic indicator of increased neuromuscular excitability.
The underlying cause of this hyperexcitability is most often hypocalcemia (a low level of calcium in the blood), which leads to latent tetany.

Option B: Trousseau's sign involves carpal spasm (a claw-like hand position), not facial twitching. It is induced by restricting blood flow to the arm with a blood pressure cuff.
Option C: Homans' sign is related to the lower extremities and is used to assess for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). It involves checking for calf pain upon dorsiflexion of the foot.
Option D: Brudzinski's sign is a test for meningeal irritation (meningitis). It involves neck flexion leading to an involuntary flexion of the hips and knees.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Clinical assessment for electrolyte imbalances and other medical conditions as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must be proficient in assessing for Chvostek's and Trousseau's signs at the bedside, especially in at-risk patients (e.g., post-thyroidectomy, pancreatitis, kidney disease), as they are early indicators of potentially life-threatening hypocalcemia.
A positive Chvostek's sign warrants prompt notification of the healthcare provider, initiation of seizure precautions, and preparation for potential IV calcium administration.
Trousseau's sign is generally considered more specific for hypocalcemia than Chvostek's sign, as Chvostek's can be positive in a small percentage of healthy individuals.

How to Approach the Question

First, break down the question stem into action and reaction. The action is 'facial nerve is tapped,' and the reaction is 'twitching of facial muscles.'
Recognize this as a factual recall question that asks for the specific name of a clinical sign.
Systematically evaluate each option against the description in the stem.
Option A, Chvostek's Sign, directly matches the description of tapping the facial nerve to elicit a facial twitch.
Eliminate the other options by recalling their definitions: Trousseau's involves a BP cuff and hand spasm, Homans' involves the calf and foot, and Brudzinski's involves the neck and lower limbs.
Confirm that the described sign is associated with a specific condition, in this case, hypocalcemia.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Clinical assessment for electrolyte imbalances and other medical conditions.
Stem keywords: twitching, facial muscles, facial nerve, tapped
Lead-in keywords: is called
Negative lead-in flag: false

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