Hepatojugular 'reflex' or 'reflux'? A tale of two vowels.

SUMMARY: Hepatojugular reflux is an important, prognostic clinical sign in the field of medicine. The majority of medical students or clinicians may attempt to elicit this sign during abdominal or cardiovascular examinations. However, some individuals may incorrectly call it the hepatojugular 'reflex' rather than a 'reflux'. In the first instance, that may not pose a problem to either patient or clinician-however, it may reflect a lack of basic understanding of how the human body works.