Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of shaking a person to determine whether a large amount of liquid is present in a body cavity: A diagnostic technique, primarily used in medicine, involving the act of shaking a patient's body to detect the presence and movement of fluid, often within the chest or abdomen, by listening for a splashing sound.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The physician performed succussion on the patient's torso to check for a pleural effusion.
  • A positive sign from succussion indicates the presence of free fluid in a cavity.

Advanced Usage

• "Succussion splash": The splashing sound heard during the act of succussion, which is the key diagnostic finding.
  • The doctor detected a distinct succussion splash, confirming the diagnosis.

Variants and Related Words

• Succuss (verb): To shake vigorously, especially for diagnostic purposes.
  • The doctor will succuss the patient to listen for the tell-tale splash.

Synonyms

• Shaking (general)
• Agitation (general)
• Jolting (general)

Notes on Meaning

This is a highly specialized medical term. Its usage is almost exclusively confined to clinical examination and diagnosis. The core meaning is the diagnostic shaking itself, not shaking in a general sense.

Noun

1. shaking a person to determine whether a large amount of liquid is present in a body cavity