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Medical Definition of Tracheal tug
1. A downward pull of the trachea, manifested by a downward movement of the thyroid cartilage, synchronous with the action of the heart and symptomatic of aneurysm of the aortic arch; the sign is elicited most easily by drawing the cricoid cartilage upward with the thumb and forefinger while the patient sits with head thrown back and mouth closed, a jerky type of inspiration seen when the intercostal muscles and the sternocostal parts of the diaphragm are paralysed by deep general anaesthesia or muscle relaxants; due to the unopposed action of the crura pulling on the dome of the diaphragm and thence on the pericardium, lung roots, and tracheobronchial tree during each inspiration. (05 Mar 2000)