What Is The Order Of The Abdominal Exam And Why?

With abdominal assessment,

you inspect first, then auscultate, percuss, and palpate

. This order is different from the rest of the body systems, for which you inspect, then percuss, palpate, and auscultate.

In what order do you assess the abdomen?

Assessing your patient’s abdomen can provide critical information about his internal organs. Always follow this sequence:

inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation

. Changing the order of these assessment techniques could alter the frequency of bowel sounds and make your findings less accurate.

Why do you inspect the abdomen first?

Inspection of the abdomen gives clues to the

diagnosis of intra-abdominal pathology

. Combined with the patient’s history, inspection can often provide a preliminary diagnosis that can be confirmed by auscultation and palpation.

Why does the nurse begin Auscultating the abdomen in the right lower quadrant?

Auscultation should begin in the right lower quadrant.

If bowel sounds are not heard

, in order to determine if bowel sounds are truly absent, listen for a total of five minutes (Jarvis, 2011). Bowel sounds echo the underlying movements of the intestines.

How do you complete an abdominal assessment?

With abdominal assessment,

you inspect first, then auscultate, percuss, and palpate

. This order is different from the rest of the body systems, for which you inspect, then percuss, palpate, and auscultate.

What do they look for in abdominal assessment?

Documentation of a basic, normal abdominal exam should look something along the lines of the following:

Abdomen is soft, symmetric, and non-tender without distention

. There are no visible lesions or scars. The aorta is midline without bruit or visible pulsation.

Why do you have to empty your bladder before an abdominal exam?

Obstetrics & Miwifery

Explain the procedure and gain permission to proceed. Confirm that the woman has emptied her bladder prior to the procedure.

A full bladder will make the examination uncomfortable and can reduce the accuracy of

the fundal height measurement.

What does McBurney’s point mean?

What is McBurney’s point? McBurney’s point refers to

the point on the lower right quadrant of the abdomen at which tenderness is maximal in cases of acute appendicitis

. Acute appendicitis is characterized by the inflammation, infection, or swelling of the appendix.

Should abdomen be firm or soft?

Normal:

Abdomen is soft

, rectus muscle is relaxed and no discomfort is elicited during palpation.

What order do you Auscultate bowel sounds?

◂ Auscultate for bowel sounds.

Begin in the right lower quadrant (RLQ), and move in sequence up to the right upper quadrant (RUQ)

, left upper quadrant (LUQ), and finally the left lower quadrant (LLQ). Auscultate for bruits over the aorta, renal arteries, iliac arteries, and femoral arteries.

When Auscultating the abdomen for bowel sounds How long should you listen before concluding that bowel sounds are absent?

If bowel sounds are not immediately audible, a period of

30-60 seconds

should be dedicated to listening as the establishment of absent bowel sounds has immediate implications and should be unequivocal. High-pitched, frequent bowel sounds are associated with small bowel obstruction.

What is abdominal bruit?

Abdominal bruits are

murmurs heard during auscultation of the abdomen

. Like any murmur generated outside the four heart chambers, abdominal bruits may extend beyond the confines of the first and second heart sounds from systole into diastole (i.e., they may be “continuous”; see Chapter 39).

Which action would the nurse take when Auscultating the abdomen of a patient?

What organs are palpable in the abdomen?

Organs that should be palpated during the deep exam include the

liver, gallbladder, and spleen

. We will also discuss techniques for palpating the stomach, pancreas, duodenum, and kidneys.

How is your abdomen supposed to feel?

A generally resonant abdomen suggests

much flatus whilst solid or liquid under the fingers will be dull

. Sometimes it is helpful to use percussion to define the edge of the liver. It can also be used to delineate an enlarged bladder or a tumour arising from the pelvis.

What is the rationale behind why you have to empty the bladder of the mother first before you will do the procedure?

A full bladder in this case would not only distort the image of the uterus but it

will also be uncomfortable for the woman

. The bladder for this ultrasound needs to be empty. An empty or full bladder can mean the difference in how accurate the ultrasound imaging is.

What questions do you ask during an abdominal assessment?

• Does the patient use a single finger or spread the fingers and move the palm over much of the abdomen?
• What is the nature of the pain? Note body language. …
• Are there any aggravating or relieving factors? …
• How often is the pain felt and how long does it last?
• Is there radiation elsewhere?

What else causes pain at McBurney’s point?

Tenderness at McBurney’s point suggests the

evolution of acute appendicitis

to a later stage, and thus, the increased likelihood of rupture. Other abdominal processes can also sometimes cause tenderness at McBurney’s point.

What is presentation in abdominal palpation?

Palpate

the lower uterus (below the umbilicus) to find the presenting part

. Firm and round signifies cephalic, soft and/or non-round suggests breech. If breech presentation is suspected, the fetal head can be often be palpated in the upper uterus.

What is abdominal guarding?

Abdominal guarding:

Tensing of the abdominal wall muscles to guard inflamed organs within the abdomen from the pain of pressure upon

them.

Can you get appendicitis at 46?

Anyone can develop the condition

, but most people who get appendicitis are 10 to 30 years old.

What organs are below your belly button?

Periumbilical pain is a type of abdominal pain that is localized in the region around or behind your belly button. This part of your abdomen is referred to as the umbilical region. It contains parts of your stomach, small and large intestine, and your

pancreas

.

Should you hear bowel sounds in all 4 quadrants?

You should listen over all four quadrants

, not simply in one place. In fact, several areas per quadrant would be ideal, especially in patients who have gastrointestinal (GI) issues. The first item to listen for is the presence of bowel sounds.

How do you listen to abdominal Bruits?

The bell of the stethoscope is best

for picking up bruits. The diaphragm is more attuned to relatively high-pitched sounds; the bell is more sensitive to low-pitched sounds like bruits. When using the bell, apply it lightly over the area of the body you’re listening to.

What are the five steps of patient assessment?

emergency call; determining scene safety, taking BSI precautions

, noting the mechanism of injury or patient’s nature of illness, determining the number of patients, and deciding what, if any additional resources are needed including Advanced Life Support.

Which of the following areas should the technique of palpation be used as part of assessment?

Palpation applies the

sense of touch

to assess these factors: texture, temperature, moisture, organ location and size, as well as any swelling, vibration or pulsation, rigidity or spasticity, crepitation, presence of lumps or masses, and presence of tenderness or pain.

What should you hear when Percussing the abdomen?

There are two basic sounds which can be elicited:

Tympanitic (drum-like) sounds

produced by percussing over air filled structures. Dull sounds that occur when a solid structure (e.g. liver) or fluid (e.g. ascites) lies beneath the region being examined.

How many bowel sounds in a minute?

Normal: Bowel sound consist of clicks and gurgles and

5-30 per minute

. An occasional borborygmus (loud prolonged gurgle) may be heard.

Is an abdominal bruit serious?

Bruits are blowing vascular sounds resembling heart murmurs that are perceived over partially occluded blood vessels. When detected over the carotid arteries, a bruit may indicate

an increased risk of stroke

; when produced by the abdomen, it may indicate partial obstruction of the aorta or…

Which nurse is most likely to skip steps and arrive at a clinical Judgement instantly during the nursing process?

Which nurse is most likely to skip steps and arrive at a clinical judgment instantly during the nursing process?

The expert nurse

is more likely to arrive at a clinical judgment instantly because of the ability to recognize patterns from the assessment data.

What are the 4 types of bowel sounds?

Abdominal sounds may either be classified as normal, hypoactive, or

hyperactive

. Hypoactive, or reduced, bowel sounds often indicate that intestinal activity has slowed down. On the other hand, hyperactive bowel sounds are louder sounds related to increased intestinal activity.

Where do you Auscultate abdominal aorta?

To auscultate the aorta, place the stethoscope

between the xiphoid (epigastrium) and the umbilicus about two-thirds of the way down

.

What is the significance of the presence of an abdominal bruit in abdominal aortic aneurysm?

The presence of an abdominal bruit may

suggest turbulent flow which may occur with an aneurysm

. The presence of pulsatile popliteal masses bilaterally may not diagnose a AAA directly but the presence of bilateral popliteal artery aneurysms may suggest an increased incidence of AAA.

What is the order of assessment for the abdomen?

Assessing your patient’s abdomen can provide critical information about his internal organs. Always follow this sequence:

inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation

.

What is the preferred order for examination of the abdomen?

The examination is conducted in a predetermined sequence

starting from observation and then sequentially performing auscultation, palpation, and percussion

(see images below) followed by ancillary maneuvers.

Which elements of a patient’s abdomen should be assessed on inspection?

Inspection consists of

visual examination of the abdomen with note made of the shape of the abdomen, skin abnormalities, abdominal masses, and the movement of the abdominal wall with respiration

.