Abdominal Assessment Flashcards
What is the largest cavity in the body
The abdominal cavity
What does the abdominal cavity contain
GI stuff, URINE stuff, adrenal GLANDS, VESSELS, UTERUS
What lies outside of the cavity but is part of the GI system
Esophagus
How long is the GI tract
27ft
What are the main functions of the GI tract
INGEST, DIGEST, ABSORB, EXCRETE
What are the movements that produce digestion
Peristalsis
What is the abdominal lining
Peritoneum
What are the two layers of the peritoneum and what do they line
PARITAL (wall), and VISCERAL (organs)
What is the space between the two layers called
The PERITONEAL cavity
What does the peritoneal cavity contain
serous FLUID, reduces FRICTION, DIALYSIS
What is the function of the lifeguard liver
PURIFIES and DETOXIFIES
What is the function of the small intestines soaking up
ABSORBS 90% of the nutrients
What is the function of the large intestines drops a load
ABSORB WATER and SALT and creates FECES
What is the function of the stirring stomach
CHURNS food to enhance digestion
What is the function of the kidney cleanser
Regulates BP and FILTERS WASTE
What is the function of the pancreas powerhouse
Produces ENZYMES for digestion, INSULIN
What is the function of the gallbladders green goo
STORES and concentrates BILE to help BREAKSOWN FATS
What is the function of the esophagus elevator
TRANSPORT food
What is the function of the spleens security system
FILTERS BLOOD, RECYCLES RBC, fights INFECTION
What are the sections of the small intestion
Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum (DJ Ileum in da club)
What are the sections of the large intestine
CECUM, ASCENDING colon, TRANSVERSE colon, DESCENDING colon, SIGMOID colon, RECTUM
What is in the RUQ
Liver, gallbladder, kidney
What is in the LUQ
Spleen, stomach, pancreas, kidney
What is in the RLQ
Cecum, appendix
What questions should you ask about bowel movements
How OFTEN do you ahve a bowel movement? Can you tell me the COLOR, AMOUNT, CONSISTENCY, and ODOR (CACO)
What does bright red stool mean
NEW active bleeding
What can cause bright red stool
Hemorrhoids, menstration, LOWER GI bleeding
What can black tarry stool mean
IRON meds or OLD blood
When is black stool considered melena vs just black stool
The presence of blood, use a FOB test
What does green stool mean
Moving to QUICKLY
What is the normal range of amount of bowel movements
3X a day- 3X a week
What is the normal consistency of stool
Toothpaste, solid, soft, pass easily
What can hard stools be caused by and how can you help that
Constipation for NARCOTICS, DEHYDRATION, lack of EXERVISE/MOBILITY.
FRUITS, FIBER, FLUIDS, MOVEMENT
What does monility equal
motility
What can soft/watery stool be caused by
Diarrhea, SICKNESS, food INTOLERANCE, DISEASE
Are you eating and drinking okay
Lack of intake can be caused by SICKNESS or MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Have you experienced any vomiting?
Pregnancy= morning sickness
What can coffee ground emesis mean
Old digested blood
What can hematemesis mean
Bright RED, NEW blood, ESOPHAGEAL VARICES!!! (EMERGENCY)
What is esophageal varices
An EMERGIC airway issue common in alcoholics
Have you jad surgery involving your abdomen?
CHANGE routine, BARIATRIC (amount), OSTOMY (coping)
Do any of your FIRST DEGREE relatives have any history of GI disorders?
GARD, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colon cancer
Do you drink alcohol? How MUCH, OFTEN, and LAST drink?
Cirrhosis, cancers, liver damage
Why is it important to get information about people who drink alcohol
MEDS and a need to check lever tests
What is the location of GERD
Mid-epigastric, may go to jaw
What are the characteristics of GERD
Heartburn, regurgitation
What are the exam findings of GERD
Burping alot, increased acidity
What is the location of pancreatitis
LUQ, back
What are the characterisistics of pancreatitis
SUDDEN onset, steady, severs, KNIFELIKE
What are the exam findings of pancreatitis
Distention, decreased bowl sounds, LUQ tenderness, Cullen’s sign, Grey-Turner’s sign
What is the location of appendicitis
RLQ
What are the characterisitics of appendicits
Colicky
What are the exam findings of appendicitis
Guarding, tenderness in RLQ, REBOUND TENDERNESS (more pain on release), mcburney’s point, Rovsing’s sign
What is Mcburney’s point
Mexumum point of tenderness
What is Tovsing’s sign
Palpate LLQ and have pain in RLQ
What is the location of menstruation
Lower quadrants
What are the characterisitics of menstruation
Cramping, sharp
What are the exam findings of menstruation
Guarding, tenderness
What are cullen’s sign and grey-turner’s sign related to
PANCREATITIS, ECTOPIC pregnancy, reptured SPLEEN
Where is the Cullen’s sign
C around the umbilicus
Where is the Grey-Turner’s sign
The Flank
What causes the two signs
Blood pooling under the skin
What are the premary preventions for coloractal cancer
DIET, EXERCISE, WEIGHT, SMOKE, ALOCOHOL
What are the secondary preventions for colorectal cancer
Screened 45-75 years old, FOBT annually, colonoscopy every 10 years, CT every 5 years
What are the assessment techniques for the abdominal assessment
Inspection, auscultation, light palpation, CVA tenderness
How do you assess the contour of the abdomen
Stand at the foot of the ned and then the side, rib cage to hip bone
What does rounded mean
Well nourished
What does flat mean
Fit, muscular, athlete
What does scaphoid mean
VOID, emaciation
What does amaciation mean
Abnormally tin or weak, malnutrition
What does protuberant mean
Enlarged, bulging abdomen, Excess FLUID, FAT, distanded
What does distended mean
SWOLLEN, sometimes hard, liver issues, the six F’s (fetus, fluid (ascites), flatulence, feces, fibroid or fatal tumor
What are the causes of striae
Obesity, pregnency
How do you observe bulging
BEAR down, look around unbilicus
What does bulging mean
Hernias, or infants, have it
Is peristalsis usually visible
No
Should you palpate an aortic pulsation
No, it could be an aneurysm
Who can you see aortic pulsations in
Thin people
What are you listening for
High pitched gurgling sounds
What do these mean
absent
hypoactive
normoactive
hyperactive
borborygmi
nothing, less, 5-35 per/min, more, heard w/out stethoscope
When can you state that bowel sounds are absent
After listening for 5 minutes in each quadrant
Where do you start
RLQ
What can cause hypoactive sounds
Constipation, post-surgical pts, carbotics, older, pregnancy
What do post-surgical pts need to have before we feed them
Bowel sounds
What can cause hyperactive bowel sounds
Coffee, laxatives, diarrgea, allergies, anxiety
What side do you use to auscultate an aoritc bruit
Bell=bruit
Where do you auscultate for an aortic cruit
xiphoid precess
What is a bruit
Turbulent blood flow caused by narrowing of the blood vessel
How to palpate
Palpate painful area last, KNEES up, WARM hands, HANDS on HANDS
What does tympany mean
NORMAL
What does dull mean
Indicative of distention, fluid, masses
How to assess CVA tenderness
Sit on the edge of the bed, 12th rib, hit fist on the other hand
What is CVA pain called
Flank pain
What does dull and excruciating flank pain mean
full- pyelonephritis
excruciating- kidney stones
