GU assessment Flashcards
3 this we do for a GI (gastrointestinal assessment)
- inspect
- auscultation (listen)
- palpate
*remember if we hear something with our stethoscope we may not palpate because it could possibly rupture something
How many quadrants does the abdomen have?
4 quadrants (RLQ, RUQ, LUQ, LLQ)
Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)
contains liver and gallbladder, pylorus, duodenum, head of pancreas, right adrenal gland, portion of right kidney, hepatic flexure of colon, portions of ascending and transverse colon
Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
lower pole of right kidney, cecum and appendix, portion of ascending colon, bladder (if distended), right ovary and salpinx, right spermatic cord, right ureter
Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
left lobe of liver, spleen, stomach, body of pancreas, left adrenal gland, portion of left kidney, splenic flexure of colon, portions of transverse and descending colon
Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)
lower pole of left kidney, sigmoid colon, portion of descending colon, bladder (if distended), left ovary and salpinx, uterus (if enlarged), left spermatic cord, left ureter
Inspection for GI
- inspect for abdominal color, structure of abdomen, abdominal contour, symmetry, pulsations, and abdominal movement
- inspect for any scars, lesions, or stretch marks
- inspect umbilicus for position, shape, color and signs of inflammation, any discharge or protruding masses
Auscultation (listen)
-Auscultate the abdomen by listening with the diaphragm of the stethoscope to the bowel sounds in all 4 quadrants (start with the RLQ then go to RUQ, LUQ, then LLQ)
*RLQ has the most activity
(if don’t hear any bowel sounds must listen in each quadrant for a full minute for a total of 5 minutes to say there is absence of bowel sounds)
4 types of bowel sounds
hyperactive, hypoactive, absent, normoactive
Hyperactive bowel sounds
may be loud and higher pitched and rushing
(could be from infection or diarrhea)
*more than 30 sounds
Hypoactive bowel sounds
slow and sluggish (abdominal surgery, bowel obstruction)
*less than 5
absent bowel sounds
listen over EACH quadrant for a minimum 3-5 minutes (1 minute per quadrant total of 5 minutes) before declaring (paralytic ileus=obstruction of the intestine due to paralysis of the intestinal muscle)
normoactive bowel sounds
irregular, gurgling sounds that occur from 5 to 30 times a minute
peristalsis
movement of the muscles
flatulence
gas
defecation
discharge of feces
nausea
a sensation including urge to vomit
vomiting
emesis (forcefully expelling the stomach’s content out of the mouth)
palpation for GI
- determines organ size, placement muscle tone, masses, and presence of fluid
- painful areas should be palpated last
- contraindicated for clients with appendicitis, dissecting aortic aneurysm, polysystic kidney disease, or an organ transplant
- light palpation in each quadrant to detect areas of tenderness
- palm of hand with pads of fingers extended
GU
genitourinary (kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra)
bladder
normal capacity is 600-1,000mL
sense the desire to urinate (VOID) q2-q4 (every 2-4 hours) about 200mL
*30mL=1oz
assessment for GU
daily voiding patterns
volume
distention
flank pain (located in the back where kidney is)
skin rashes, blisters, irritations, breakdown
LMP? (last menstrual period for females)
assessment of urine
color: -yellow/amber (normal), straw, pale -dark yellow/amber, red (could see this for someone who doesn't drink a lot of water) clarity: -transparent, clear -cloudy, sediment Odor: -ammonia (normal smell) -fruity (might smell fruity for someone who has diabetes)
*get an order if urine is cloudy
output
average daily urine output= 1500mL per day
less than 30mL/hour could be a concern
*if someone is only voiding 720mL/day might be a sign of kidney function
what is the adequate fluid intake?
8 glasses per day unless contraindicated
Essential skills for abdominal assessment
- inspect abdomen for symmetry, color lesions, scars, and abdominal movement
- auscultate bowel sounds in all 4 quadrants
- palpate abdomen in all 4 quadrants
- assess GI & GU patterns and characteristics
gastrointestinal (patient specific norms)
abdomen is soft and non-tender w/o distention
bowel sounds active X4
tolerating prescribed diet w/o nausea and vomiting
bowel movements w/in own normal patterns and consistency (no incontinence)
genitourinary (patient specific norms)
able to empty bladder w/o difficulty, frequency, or urgency or dysuria
urine is clear and yellow/amber in color
no incontinence (foley? I/O?)
Urethra size for males and females
men= 8 inches women= 1.5-2.5 inches
5 kidney functions
- filters blood in removing wastes to create urine
- regulates body fluids and electrolyte balance
- regulates blood pressure
- involved in production of RBCs (red blood cells)
- synthesizing vitamin D
act of urination (voiding, micturition)
- stretch of bladder walls signals the micturition center in sacral spinal cord
- impulses from the micturition center in brain (respond to or ignore this urge) makes urination under VOLUNTARY control
- when a person is ready to void external sphincter relaxes, stimulates detrusor muscle to contract
- bladder empties
Ureter
urine will fill in the ureter go to void muscle contracts (valve will close off) so urine does not go back up the ureter to the kidney (can cause bacteria to grow)
“reflux” is anything that goes back up the ureter
nocturia
is voiding at night or during normal sleep time
can be expressed in numbers of times person gets out of bed to void
example: nocturia x 4
can be descried as frequency (may see in pregnant women, increase fluid intake, or from UTIs)
dysuria
refers to voiding that is either painful or difficult
can bed caused by a stricture, which a portion of the urethra is decreased in diameter, a UTI, or an injury to the bladder or urethra
(urinary tract inflammation, infection, injury)