Why does the lowest rib feel tender when pressed?

Pressing pain in the lowest rib may be caused by rib fracture or chest wall soft tissue injury. Both rib fracture and chest wall soft tissue injury will manifest as pressing pain, and there will be other obvious abnormalities. Simple pain is not enough to determine the specific cause, and it is necessary to complete the examination in the hospital to determine the specific cause.

Clinical manifestations of rib fracture:

1. Local pain is the most obvious symptom of rib fracture, and it will increase with coughing, deep breathing, or body rotation. Sometimes patients can hear bone friction sound or feel bone friction sensation.

2. Pain and destruction of chest wall stability can limit respiratory movement, resulting in shallow and rapid breathing and reduced alveolar ventilation. Patients dare not cough, leading to sputum retention, which can cause obstruction of lower respiratory tract secretions, pulmonary consolidation, or atelectasis. This should be paid attention to especially in elderly or patients with pre-existing lung diseases.

Clinical manifestations of chest wall soft tissue injury:

The typical clinical manifestations are localized pain, which intensifies with deep breathing and coughing. Closed injury can be seen as chest wall skin ecchymosis and local hematoma. Open injury can be seen as chest wall wounds, and the types of wounds vary depending on the type of injury. The surface of a bruised wound has scratches with exudation of tissue fluid and spotty bleeding. The wound edge of a contusion injury is uneven, and the surrounding tissue is severely bruised. The wound of a stab injury is small and deep, and sometimes the wound can be seen with residual injury. The wound of a cut injury is mostly straight, with neat edges, light surrounding tissue damage, and more bleeding. The wound of a firearm injury has more surrounding tissue damage, heavier pollution, and the injury can be left in the chest wall tissue.