Abdomen Flashcards
(24 cards)
abdominal muscles
flex and hold organs in place, flex the vertebral
infant abdomen
abdominal wall thinner—easier to palpate organs.
Liver takes up more abdominal space.
Bladder higher in abdomen.
pregnant woman abdomen
decreased motility of GI tract, intestines displaced upward and posterior
aging adult abdomen
Esophageal emptying delayed.
Gastric acid secretions decreased.
Incidence gallstones increased.
Drug metabolism by liver decreased.
objective assessment order
Inspection
Auscultation
Percussion
Palpation
What can be noted during inspection of abdomen?
venous pattern, peristaltic waves, abdominal contour
solid viscera
liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, kidneys, ovaries, uterus
hollow viscera
stomach, bladder, small intestine, colon, gallbladder
retroperitoneal
location on the kidneys, posterior to abdominal contents
costovertebral angle (CVA)
12th rib forms angle with vertebral column
visceral pain
dull, general, poorly localized
parietal pain
sharp, localized, aggravated by movement
referred pain
pain from another site
stomach contour
flat, scaphoid, protuberant, rounded
normal bowel sounds
high-pitched, cascading, gurgling
hyperactive bowel sounds
loud, high-pitched, tinkling, rushing
hypoactive bowel sounds
infrequent normal sounds
auscultate for vascular sounds
listen for bruits over aorta, renal arteries, iliac arteries, femoral arteries (note: location, pitch, timing)
right upper quadrant tenderness may indicate pathology in
liver, pancreas, ascending colon
the absence of bowel sounds is established after listening for
3 full minutes
normal range of liver span
8 to 14 cm
Why does auscultation begin in the right lower quadrant?
Peristalsis through the descending colon is usually active
A positive Blumberg sign indicates
peritoneal inflammation
A positive Murphy’s sign is
best described as pain felt when taking a deep breath when the examiner’s fingers are on the approximate location of the inflamed gallbladder
