Abdomen

Question 1

abdominal muscles

Answer 1

flex and hold organs in place, flex the vertebral

Question 2

infant abdomen

Answer 2

abdominal wall thinner—easier to palpate organs.
Liver takes up more abdominal space.
Bladder higher in abdomen.

Question 3

pregnant woman abdomen

Answer 3

decreased motility of GI tract, intestines displaced upward and posterior

Question 4

aging adult abdomen

Answer 4

Esophageal emptying delayed.
Gastric acid secretions decreased.
Incidence gallstones increased.
Drug metabolism by liver decreased.

Question 5

objective assessment order

Answer 5

Inspection
Auscultation
Percussion
Palpation

Question 6

What can be noted during inspection of abdomen?

Answer 6

venous pattern, peristaltic waves, abdominal contour

Question 7

solid viscera

Answer 7

liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, kidneys, ovaries, uterus

Question 8

hollow viscera

Answer 8

stomach, bladder, small intestine, colon, gallbladder

Question 9

retroperitoneal

Answer 9

location on the kidneys, posterior to abdominal contents

Question 10

costovertebral angle (CVA)

Answer 10

12th rib forms angle with vertebral column

Question 11

visceral pain

Answer 11

dull, general, poorly localized

Question 12

parietal pain

Answer 12

sharp, localized, aggravated by movement

Question 13

referred pain

Answer 13

pain from another site

Question 14

stomach contour

Answer 14

flat, scaphoid, protuberant, rounded

Question 15

normal bowel sounds

Answer 15

high-pitched, cascading, gurgling

Question 16

hyperactive bowel sounds

Answer 16

loud, high-pitched, tinkling, rushing

Question 17

hypoactive bowel sounds

Answer 17

infrequent normal sounds

Question 18

auscultate for vascular sounds

Answer 18

listen for bruits over aorta, renal arteries, iliac arteries, femoral arteries (note: location, pitch, timing)

Question 19

right upper quadrant tenderness may indicate pathology in

Answer 19

liver, pancreas, ascending colon

Question 20

the absence of bowel sounds is established after listening for

Answer 20

3 full minutes

Question 21

normal range of liver span

Answer 21

8 to 14 cm

Question 22

Why does auscultation begin in the right lower quadrant?

Answer 22

Peristalsis through the descending colon is usually active

Question 23

A positive Blumberg sign indicates

Answer 23

peritoneal inflammation

Question 24

A positive Murphy’s sign is

Answer 24

best described as pain felt when taking a deep breath when the examiner’s fingers are on the approximate location of the inflamed gallbladder