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Glite Dictionary
hepatojugular reflux

hepatojugular reflux

9.1
Pressing the liver makes the neck vein swell with extra blood, a sign of heart failure
  • noun
  • /hɛpətoʊdʒʌɡjələr ˈriːflʌks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : reflujo hepato-yugular
  • His jugular vein became distended when pressure was applied to the abdomen, indicating hepatojugular reflux.

Examples

  • A positive hepatojugular reflux can help differentiate cardiac from respiratory causes of shortness of breath.

  • The doctor detected hepatojugular reflux during the patient's examination, suggesting fluid overload.

  • The doctor noted a positive hepatojugular reflux during the examination.

  • Can you explain what hepatojugular reflux indicates?

  • The doctor observed a positive hepatojugular reflux, which indicated a possible heart failure diagnosis.

  • When he pressed on the liver, it caused the patient's jugular vein to bulge, confirming the presence of hepatojugular reflux.

  • During the cardiac evaluation, the physician noted that the hepatojugular reflux was particularly pronounced.

Surface Forms

hepatojugular reflux singular
hepatojugular refluxes plural

Morphology

hepatojugular + reflux

Although the headword is technical, its meaning is transparently built from identifiable parts: hepato- (liver) + jugular (neck vein) + reflux (backflow). A learner who knows these constituents can reconstruct the sense ‘venous backflow involving the liver and jugular vein’ even if they lack clinical experience, so the composition is predictable.

Etymology

Hepatojugular reflux comes from the parts hepato-, jugular, and reflux, meaning 'liver', 'neck vein', and 'flow back'. The image is simple: when a doctor presses the liver, blood is pushed back into the neck vein and the vein bulges, so this is used as a 'sign of heart failure'.