Abdominal Assessment

Question 1

What are the 4 types of abdomen contours or shapes?

Answer 1

Flat, rounded, distended, scaploid

Question 2

When examining the abdomen what would you check for secondly?

Answer 2

Auscultation of bowel sounds

Question 3

How long do you auscultate bowel sounds if you cannot hear them?

Answer 3

5 minutes

Question 4

When examining the abdomen what do you do first?

Answer 4

Inspection

Question 5

Where do you begin listening to bowel sounds first? What quadrant?

Answer 5

RLQ

Question 6

How do you describe the bowel sounds?

Answer 6

Normal, hypo active, hyperactive

Question 7

How long do you check normal bowel sounds for?

Answer 7

1 minute

Question 8

What is the third Step you do when assessing the abdomen?

Answer 8

Percussion

Question 9

What organ can you percuss in the abdomen?

Answer 9

Liver

Question 10

Costovertebral angle of tenderness is

Answer 10

When you hit your flat non-dominant hand against your back.

-used in percussion

• shouldn’t feel any pain when vibrations occur
• pain signals kidney problems

Question 11

What is the fourth step in assessing the abdomen?

Answer 11

Palpating

Question 12

What type of palpation do you begin with first when assessing the abdomen ?

Answer 12

Light palpation is first.

Make circular motion through each of the quadrants.

Check for tenderness.

Question 13

Describe deep palpation of the abdomen.

Answer 13

Deep palpation is done after light palpation.

You palpate 2-3 inches

Move clockwise!

Question 14

What organ is described as solid viscera?

Answer 14

The liver

Question 15

Describe the liver

Answer 15

Liver is found in the RUQ

Liver is the largest organ

Uses a hooking technique to palpate.
-hook under the right costal margin

Question 16

Describe the spleen

Answer 16

Spleen is located above left kidney, just below the diaphragm, to the left of the stomach

LUQ

Normally not palpable

If you can feel the spleen that means there is something wrong

Question 17

Describe the kidney

Answer 17

Found in the lower quadrants

Bottom potion of the right kidney may be palpated posteriorly.

Uses the duck bill technique

Left kidney normally not palpable

Question 18

When can we palpate the uterus?

Answer 18

When a women is pregnant

Palpate above the symphysis pubis

Question 19

How do we palpate the ovaries?

Answer 19

Palpate the RLQ and LLQ

Question 20

What organs of the body need to be palpated manually?

Answer 20

Uterus and ovaries

Question 21

Sigmoid colon

Answer 21

It is the s- shaped last part of the large intestine leading to the rectum.

Palpation is firm

Location LLQ

Question 22

What does it mean if the colon is firm?

Answer 22

Could be a bowel or stool

Could also mean there is a mass

Question 23

Cecum and ascending colon

Answer 23

Softer than the sigmoid colon

Cecum is a Pouch in the large intestine that receive chyme form the ileum and connects to the ascending colon.

Question 24

What quadrant is the cecum found is

Answer 24

RLQ

Question 25

What quadrant is the ascending colon found in?

Answer 25

RUQ

Question 26

Transverse and descending colon are in what quadrant?

Answer 26

LUQ

You can feel upon palpation

Question 27

Urinary palpation

Answer 27

Our muscular sac is what distends. It’s also known as a bladder.

Located behind the pubic bone

RLQ

You can palpate a full bladder.

Question 28

What organs can you palpate?

Answer 28

Liver
small section of the right kidney
a bladder that is full
Sigmoid colon 
Cecum
Ascending colon
Transverse
Descending colon
Uterus 
Ovaries

Question 29

Where can the abdominal aorta be see?

Answer 29

In the abdomen 1-2 inches above the umbilical.

You can see the pulse when lying down

Question 30

What vascular structure can you palpate?

Answer 30

The abdominal aorta

Question 31

How should you assess the abdomen. What are the 4 steps in order.

Answer 31

Inspect, auscultate, percuss, palpate