Abdomen Auscultation Quiz and Flashcards for Nursing

Patients with ______ pain are asked to point the area of discomfort so that palpation of that area can be performed last.

Begin with ______ palpation, using the fingertips of one hand to examine the patient’s abdominal wall.

Light palpation can detect ______ distention and any irregularities of the abdominal wall.

Spasm or ______ is the involuntary tightening of the abdominal musculature that occurs due to inflammation of underlying abdominal structures.

Rebound ______ is abdominal pain that occurs immediately after the removal of the examiner’s hand after depression of an abdominal area.

Referred ______ or rebound- palpation of the lower left quadrant may produce tenderness and rebound tenderness in the right lower quadrant in appendicitis.

Blumberg's sign is a clinical sign in which there is ______ upon removal of pressure rather than application of pressure to the abdomen.

Guarding is a voluntary contraction of the ______ musculature to avoid pain.

Light palpation can assess ______ integrity and identify masses.

Palpation of the abdomen can detect ______ such as lipomas or hernias.

Auscultation of the Abdomen

Auscultation is performed to detect bowel sounds, rubs, or vascular bruits in the abdomen
Normal bowel sounds are soft, gurgling, and irregular, occurring every 2-5 seconds
Bowel sounds can be normal, audible, absent, hypoactive, hyperactive, or distant

Abnormal Findings

Absent bowel sounds: bowel obstruction or paralytic ileus
Hypoactive bowel sounds: decreased motility, post-surgery manipulation, inflammation, paralytic ileus, or late bowel obstruction
Hyperactive bowel sounds (borborygmi): overstimulated or increased motility due to diarrhea, inflammation, laxative use, bleeding, or anxiety
Abdominal bruits: "swooshing" sounds heard over major arteries due to stenosis or narrowing of vessels

Abdominal Inspection

Normal findings: flat, concave, or convex abdomen, symmetric and without masses
Abnormal findings: symmetric swelling (distention) due to intestinal gas, excess fluid, or tumor
Distended abdomen: skin appears stretched and shiny, sides bulge depending on cause

Abdominal Inspection (continued)

Bladder is not visible on inspection
Palpable large, firm area in lower abdomen: distended bladder
Neurogenic bladder: impaired nerve innervation, causing flaccid and distended bladder, partial emptying, and continual dribbling of urine

Palpation of the Abdomen

Ask patients to point to the area of discomfort and palpate that area last
Palpate each quadrant systematically, starting with light palpation
Light palpation detects bladder distention, irregularities, tenderness, and masses
Identify spasm or rigidity, guarding, rebound tenderness, and referred tenderness

Learn about the process of auscultation of the abdomen, including proper positioning, stethoscope placement, and what to listen for in each quadrant. Test your knowledge on normal and abnormal bowel sounds and their clinical implications.