Abdomen Flashcards
Name and describe the location of the abdominal regions
What conditions does each abdominal region correlate with?
The right upper quadrant includes what anatomical features?
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Duodenum
- Head of pancreas
- R) kidney
- R) adrenal
- Hepatic flexure of colon
- Parts of ascending and transverse colon
The left upper quadrant includes what anatomical features?
- Stomach
- Spleen
- L) liver lobe
- Body of pancreas
- L) kidney
- L) adrenal gland
- Splenic flexure of colon
- Part of transverse and descending colon
The right lower quadrant includes what anatomical features?
- Caecum
- Appendix
- R) ovary
- R) fallopian tube
- R) ureter
- R) spermatic chord
The left lower quadrant includes what anatomical features?
- Part of descending colon
- Sigmoid colon
- L) ovary
- L) fallopian tube
- L) ureter
- L) spermatic chord
What are the four techniques that form the bases of abdominal examination?
- Inspection
- Palpation
- Percussion
- Auscultation
What should be noted when visualising the abdomen?
*What are you looking for?*
- Masses
- Scars
- Lesions
- Distension
- Ascites
- Herniation
- Stretch marks
- Jaundice
True or false: when palpating the abdomen, palpate deeply first in the area of complaint to determine primary concern, then palpate lightly to feel subcutaneous emphysema/crepitus/irregularities etc.
What are some signs to note when palpating the abdomen?
- Palpable mass
- Pulsatile mass
- Textures
- Fluid
- Temperature
- Guarding (controlled by pt)
- Tenderness
- Softness
- Rigidity (not controlled by pt)
What use is percussion in abdo examination?
Determines whether air or fluid is present in tissues
What are the five sounds produced by abdo percussion and their meanings?
- Flatness - bone or muscle
- Dullness - heart, liver, spleen
- Resonance - air-filled lungs (hollow)
- Hyperresonance - emphysematous lung (hyperinflated)
- Tympany - air-filled stomach (drumlike)
What qualities of sound are you listening for with abdo auscultation?
- Pitch
- Intensity
- Duration
- Quality
Describe visceral pain, its causes and some common accompanying symptoms
- Usually diffuse and difficult to localise
- Results from activation of nociceptors of the thoracic/pelvic/abdo viscera (organs)
- These organs are highly sensitive to distention (stretch), ischaemia, and inflammation
- Can be accompanied by associated symptoms, VSS changes, and emotional distress
Describe somatic pain
- Generally sharp, stabbing pain that is well localised
- Comes from the parietal peritoneum which is innervated by somatic nerves
- These nerves respond to irritation from infectious, chemical, or other inflammatory processes
What is referred pain?
Pain perceived distant from its source
Describe sudden, rapid, and gradual pain onset and give an example of each.
- Sudden onset is progression to full pain in seconds and includes PE and AMI
- Rapid onset is progression from initial sensation to full pain over minutes or hours, such as acute pancreatitis and nephrolithiasis
- Gradual onset takes hours to progress to full pain and includes appendicitis and cystitis
Which pt group commonly experiences epigastric pain referred from AMI?
Middle-aged women
Describe the regions and sources of referred pain
What is Cullen’s sign and what is it associated with?
Bluish periumbilical discolouration; retroperitoneal haemorrhage
What is Kehr’s sign and what is it associated with?
L) shoulder pain; splenic or ectopic pregnancy rupture
What is McBurney’s sign and what is it associated with?
Tenderness located 2/3 the distance from the anterior iliac spine to the umbillicus on the R); appendicitis
What is Murphy’s sign and what is it associated with?
Abrupt interruption of inspiration on palpation of RUQ; acute cholecystitis
What is Iliopsoas’s sign and what is it associated with?
Hyperextension of the R) hip causing abdo pain; appendicitis
What is Obturator’s sign and what is it associated with?
Internal rotation of flexed R) hip causing abdo pain; appendicitis
What is Grey-Turner’s sign and what is it associated with?
Discolouration of the flank; retroperitoneal haemorrhage
What is Chandler’s sign and what is it associated with?
Manipulation of cervix causes pt to lift buttocks (when supine); pelvic inflammatory disease