Water Hammer Pulse

Water hammer pulse is a physical exam finding that describes a bounding, forceful pulse with a rapid upstroke and descent. It is seen in many physiological and pathological conditions but is most often associated with aortic regurgitation. In 1833, Dr. Dominic John Corrigan first described the water hammer pulse when he saw the visible sudden distention and collapse of the carotid arteries in patients with aortic regurgitation. Dr. Thomas Watson further investigated this palpable pulse in 1844. He compared the findings to the pulse felt when playing with a water hammer toy. During the Victorian era, a water hammer was a toy in which a tube was filled halfway with fluid, and the rest would be a vacuum. The tube could be continuously inverted, and the sound of the impact would sound like a hammer blow.